Kudos to those who have maintained their exercise habits over the last 20 months during the pandemic. I applaud those who have dramatically transformed themselves during this time. (Several friends have lost in excess of 50 pounds!) Still the data show that Americans on average gained weight—29 lbs, including those who have lost weight!
“A Harris Poll from February concluded that 42 percent of American adults experienced weight gain since the beginning of the pandemic, with an average gain of 29 pounds.”1
It is never too late to turn the tide. It is never more important that we turn the tide.
So, what do we have to do? Beside systemic changes in community planning, community health, health care, and public schools, we can begin with personal changes—small changes. We can begin with baby steps.
Assuming 3500 kcal per pound of fat, at an average gain of 29 pounds, the average American needs to create an average daily caloric deficit of 278 kcal. Honestly, when I went to calculate this, I thought the number would be more overwhelming. This is not a lot to cut. It is slightly more than a 20 oz sugared pop (soda). It is a package of chips or snack food. I is the average “serving” of alcohol. It is a little less on the plate at each meal. Moreover, it is beginning to meet the minimum daily activity levels. The average person takes 2,000 steps per mile. The CDC recommends a goal of 10,000 steps per day. Very few Americans meet these or the ACSM/AHA Guidance of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. Using the ‘100-kcal rule’ (i.e., for every mile walking, jogging, or running, the average person expends 100 kcal), one could suggest increases their current daily activity by 5,560 steps. This is cumulative, so it is just a matter of creating opportunity (or taking advantage of the opportunity) to move more—walking instead of driving, parking farther from your destination, taking stairs, instead of elevators or escalators, getting up and taking periodic movement breaks, etc., as well as initiating a daily exercise routine. Remember: baby steps.
I also stress the importance of resistance exercise to maintain or (better) build lean tissue. Lean mass is more metabolic (i.e., expends more energy) than fat. It also permits more physical activity to further improve body composition and health. It doesn’t require expensive equipment or gym memberships. Calisthenics or body-weight exercises can be quite effective—especially when the goals are more health-related than performance-related. The movements don’t have to be elaborate. Stick to variations of the basic-5 (squat, deadlift or hip-hinge, bench or horizontal press, horizontal/vertical pull, and overhead press) with a progressive overload (i.e., doing a little more each session). Strengthening exercises are often neglected in ‘weight-loss’ programs because, after all, we are focused on losing weight. Muscle increases body weight. So, let the scale guide your body composition changes, but don’t be overly focused on the numbers on the scale. Use the mirror, the fit of clothing, etc. to track your progress.
If you hear anything about BMI (body mass index; body weight in kilograms divided my height in meters-squared), take it with a grain of salt. Low BMI (what is often considered healthy) may, in fact, be unhealthy; and, certainly, a BMI greater than 30 kg·m-2 is unhealthy unless you are an incredibly lean bodybuilder or powerlifter/athlete. A BMI of 24-26 kg·m-2 is, in my professional opinion, the sweet spot for health. Much less and one is likely under-muscled (and can be under-fat or over-fat). Overall, if you are getting leaner (without pursuing ‘six-pack’ abs) and more muscled (hypertrophy + strength), you are getting healthier.
The road to better health is travelled a step at a time. It requires commitment and consistency. There are no shortcuts. There are no magical hack. The road is faster with hard work, but moderate effort will lead to optimal health. Daily. Moderation. Consistency. These are important words. The average American did not gain 29 pounds overnight. They won’t be lost overnight, as well. It won’t happen, though, without immediate and progressive change. If we take no steps, we will continue down a path of decreasing health—and, therefore, increasing hospitalizations (regardless of the status of one’s vaccinations and the variants of viral infection) and cost of health care). Without change, America will soon exceed an obesity rate of 40%!
If you have already started to make changes, congratulations! Stick to it. You can and your will succeed.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!
1https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/572357-number-of-states-with-high-obesity-prevalence-nearly-doubles-since-2018-cdc?fbclid=IwAR0zdljQ9Gf7VNpK5ewtXUpzW20ZepTSZ00G9gCVngui4AiNsBNT2CUIl3E