| From 1988-1994 the number of Americans who | | | | cooked dinner for a family of four costs |
| were over weight or obese was 56%. That | | | | about $25.00. This is not including the time |
| number rose from 1999-2000 to 64% according | | | | spent making the dinner and doing dishes |
| to NAASO.org. Oregon is one of the highest | | | | afterwards. |
| with 23% of its population being obese. There | | | | |
| are many reasons why people become obese or | | | | Lack of health choice at restaurants makes |
| over weight. Many times it is genetic but | | | | eating right difficult. According to |
| that is something you can not change. What | | | | Foodfacts.info, in 2005 fast food chain, |
| you can change is the way you eat, what you | | | | Wendy's, pulled their fruit salad option |
| eat and how much you eat. If our society as a | | | | after only ten months on the menu, sighting |
| whole does not change the way we eat, we will | | | | low sales. Many fast food chains have started |
| be at high risk of diabetes, hypertension and | | | | to offer healthier choices such as Subway |
| heart attacks. In 2004 obesity related deaths | | | | which offers raisins and yogurt, and Wendy's |
| ranked number two, smoking came in first. By | | | | offers mandarin orange fruit cups in place of |
| 2005 obesity related deaths was expected to | | | | fries. Some sit down restaurants have |
| pass smoking as the number one cause of | | | | followed suit such as Red Robin which will |
| death, according to | | | | allow you to order either a petite hamburger |
| | | | patty or a Boca Burger substitute for any of |
| The idea of an American family and dinner | | | | their burgers. Unfortunately other places do |
| time has changed. Americans lead busy lives, | | | | not offer alternatives or the alternatives |
| in a typical family home, both parents work a | | | | are not well advertised by the prospective |
| forty hour week, most arriving home late. | | | | restaurant. Red Robin might offer a Boca |
| Most of those families would rather relax | | | | patty substitution but it is in fine print |
| than think about making a well balanced meal | | | | which is barley visible at the very bottom of |
| for everyone. Usually they will grab what it | | | | their menu. |
| closest or easiest such as a microwave | | | | |
| dinner, take out or order a pizza. We all | | | | Eating out has taken the control over serving |
| want to spend time with our families and | | | | sizes away. A burger at Red Robin is normally |
| watch our favorite TV program. The last thing | | | | a one pound patty with unlimited. At |
| anyone wants to think about is cooking after | | | | McDonalds, a medium fry package now has |
| a long day at the office. | | | | nutritional facts listed on the side. It |
| | | | shows how many calories are in that amount of |
| Eating out was once thought to be expensive, | | | | fries along with the sodium content. What |
| now because of places like Jack in the Box | | | | they are not taking into account is the |
| and McDonalds, it is affordable. You can go | | | | amount of salt added to the fries after |
| to McDonalds and feed a family of four for | | | | cooking, and the person filling the container |
| less than twenty dollars. It is fast, easy, | | | | usually over fills. Therefore the nutritional |
| tasty and most of all cheap. To feed a family | | | | facts and serving size information provided |
| of four a balanced meal, for example chicken | | | | is inaccurate. |
| with rice and a vegetable, costs more in both | | | | |
| time and money something we are all short on. | | | | Gastric bypass surgery is the second only to |
| Fred Meyer, a local grocery store chain in | | | | breast augmentation, as the most common |
| Oregon, usually has pretty good deals, but | | | | surgery among young adults. The time is now |
| look at what it costs to feed a family of | | | | for us to start setting a good example for |
| four. I went to Fred Meyer hoping to spend | | | | all people and start making smarter choices |
| less than $20.00. Foster Farms offers three | | | | of food, make the effort to cook healthy |
| chicken breasts in a package for around | | | | meals, and rethink what a serving size is. |
| $9.00, but you would have to buy two in order | | | | Sure it might require more effort and more |
| to feed a family of four. One package of | | | | time and sacrifice but when you look at the |
| Uncle Ben's instant wild rice only has two to | | | | health risks and concerns associated with |
| three servings per container for $2.50 which | | | | obesity, it just makes sense to spend a few |
| means again you would have to buy two | | | | extra dollars, a little more time and make a |
| packages. As for a vegetable, a bag of | | | | few better choices in order to make a better |
| organic baby carrots cost about $2.00. When | | | | future for you and your family. |
| it was all said and done, a healthy home | | | | |