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| Updated Dietary Guidelines For Americans |
The revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans is just hot off the
press. It was launched by President Clinton in May. Although
the guidelines were written for the American population, they are
applicable to the Singapore population in many ways. There is a
similar set of dietary guidelines for
Singaporeans. What is new in the American guidelines?
The guidelines, which are revised every 5 years, for the first time
emphasized the need for daily physical activity - at least 30 minutes
for adults and 60 minutes for children. Following these
recommendations can lower the risk of developing heart disease,
stroke, colon cancer and diabetes. "Just a brisk 30-minute walk five
times a week, for instance, can cut the chance of developing or dying
from heart disease in half," President Clinton said in releasing the
guidelines during his radio address on May 27, 2000. The number of
overweight Americans increased from 25 percent to 33 percent between
1980 and 1991, according to government statistics.
Just as a large number of Americans are overweight, an
increasing number of Singaporeans are also overweight. In the last
National Health Survey (NHS) conducted in 1998, it was found that
30.4% of Singaporeans aged 18 to 64 years are overweight (BMI equal or above 25), of which 6% is
considered obese (BMI equal or above 30). The prevalence of obesity
has increased from 5.1% in 1992 to 6.0% in 1998. More significantly,
abdominal fatness, as measured by Waist-Hip
Ratio, increased from 2.6% in 1992 to 8.1% in 19981. It
appears that with greater access to a variety of food and growing
disposable incomes, Singaporeans are consuming more calories.
We are eating more and exercising less because of our hectic
schedules and our growing reliance on modern conveniences like cars,
computers, and remote controls. More importantly, the NHS indicated
that only 16.8% of Singaporeans exercised regularly. Exercising
regularly is defined as participation in any form of sports for 20
minutes at least 3 days per week. 54.7% of Singaporeans do not
exercise at all.
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1. National Health Survey 1998, Epidemiology and Disease Control
Department, Ministry of Health 1999
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Dietary Guidelines For Americans
Aim For Fitness...
- Aim for a healthy weight.
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Be physically active each day.
Build A Healthy Base...
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Let the Pyramid guide your food choices.
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Choose a variety of grains daily, especially
whole grains.
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Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables
daily.
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Keep food safe to eat.
Choose Sensibly...
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Choose a diet that is
low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in
total fat.
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Choose beverages and
foods to moderate your intake of
sugars.
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Choose and prepare
foods with less salt.
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If you drink alcoholic
beverages, do so in moderation.
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Some of the key issues that the Dietary Guidelines are
highlighting are:
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| 1. Aim for a healthy weight. |
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There are many important health benefits for maintaining your weight
within a healthy weight range. Being overweight increases your risk
for high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, heart disease,
stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, arthritis, and breathing problems.
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The fist step is to evaluate if your weight is within the
healthy range using the Body Mass Index (BMI) chart.
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Next assess other risks factors such as family history, age,
sex, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and existing medical
conditions. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you
are to benefit from losing weight if you are overweight or
obese.
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If you determine that you need to lose weight, first aim to
prevent further weight gain and then lose weight. Eat moderate
amounts of food, as well as use the Healthy Diet Pyramid
to guide you on how much and what to eat. Get regular
exercise and identify behaviours that may contribute to your
weight gain. If your children are also overweight, set good
examples for them by practising good eating habits & doing
regular physical activities together.
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| 2. Be physically active each day. |
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Adults are encouraged to have at least 30 minutes (60 minutes
for children) of moderate physical activity most days of the
week, preferably daily. Moderate physical activity is defined as
any activity that requires as much energy as walking 2 miles in
30 minutes.
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Check out Diet & Exercise section
for more ideas on increasing physical activity.
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3. Let the Pyramid guide your food choices
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The Food Guide Pyramid provides guidelines for healthy eating in
the US. In Singapore, the Healthy Diet
Pyramid incorporates local diet patterns and provides guidelines
how much and what types of food to eat. Don't miss out on this
important section.
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Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains. Whole
grains such as whole wheat, oats, corn, and brown rice contain more
fibre, vitamins & minerals compared to refined grains.
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Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Fruits and
vegetables provide essential vitamins & minerals and fibre
for healthy bowel function. Most people do not eat enough
fruits & vegetables.
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4. Keep food safe to eat.
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This section is new for the American Dietary Guidelines. Due to
the increasing number of incidences of foodborne illness, this
recommendation has been included to reduce the risks of foodborne illness.
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In Singapore where the weather is very hot, it is imperative
that we refrigerate food immediately upon purchase, and to put
food away after each meal.
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| 5. Choose a sensible diet. |
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Choose foods low in saturated fats and cholesterol.
Limit intake of high-fat meats and dairy products such as fatty pork.
Choose fish and lean poultry instead, and use vegetable oils rather
than fats that are solid at room temperature.
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Moderate sugar intake. Non-diet soft drinks, cakes, cookies,
fruit drinks and syrupy desserts are the primary sources of sugar in
our diet.
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Reduce your intake of salt and use spices and herbs to flavor
foods. Also moderate your use of high sodium condiments and
foods such as soy sauce, ketchup, pickles and preserved foods.
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Use alcohol in moderation. No more than one drink daily for
women ie. 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine, or 1 oz. of vodka,
whisky, etc. and two drinks or less daily for men.
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A study by researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the City
University of New York have examined the health effects of overall
dietary patterns. The good old fashioned balanced diet is still sound
advice. Among a group of more than 42,000 older American women,
according to a study, those who ate even modest amounts of fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean meat were
31 percent less likely to die during a six-year study period compared
to those who ate very little of these recommended foods. The righteous
eaters also had death rates from cancer, heart disease, and stroke at
least 30 percent below the slackers. "The larger point, clearly, is
that they're finally starting to substantiate the health claims made
in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans," said Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg, a
Tufts University nutrition professor.
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