- What’s Wrong with the American Diet?
- The Link Between Genetics And Cancer
- What Is Your Risk for Hereditary Cancer?
- Heart-Healthy Recipes
- Top Healthy Cooking Tips
What’s Wrong with the American Diet?
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What’s wrong with the typical American diet? “Too many calories,” says Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University. Most experts agree with that statement.
Perhaps it’s time to stop talking about fatty foods and admit that we simply eat too many calories. Twenty-five years ago, the average American consumed about 1,850 calories each day. Since then, our daily diet has grown by 304 calories (roughly the equivalent of two cans of soda). That’s theoretically enough to add an extra 31 pounds to each person every year. Judging from the ongoing obesity epidemic, many Americans are gaining those pounds—and then some.
Calories aren’t everything
But calories don’t tell the whole story. To truly understand what’s wrong with the American diet, you have to know how we manage to consume all those calories. There are two possible ways to go overboard: You can eat too many calorie-dense foods, or you can eat too much food or beverages in general. Many people choose to do both.
Of course, there is no single “American” diet. We all have our individual tastes, quirks and habits. Still, experts see clear patterns in our food choices. In fact, most American diets fall into one of two broad categories: “Western” or “prudent.”
Prudent Diet
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The prudent diet is a nutritionist’s dream. People in this category tend to eat relatively large amounts of fish, poultry, cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbage and broccoli), greens, tomatoes, legumes, fresh fruits and whole grains.
Western Diet
The Western diet is the prudent diet reflected in a carnival mirror. Everything is backwards: Red meat and other fatty foods take the forefront, while fruits, vegetables and whole grains are pushed aside. In addition to fat and calories, the Western diet is loaded with cholesterol, salt and sugar. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s critically short on dietary fiber and many nutrients—as well as plant-based substances (phytochemicals) that help protect the heart and ward off cancer.
Put it all together and you have a recipe for disaster. In a 12-year study of more than 69,000 women, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a Western diet was found to significantly raise the risk of coronary heart disease. Other studies have shown that a high-fat, low-nutrient diet increases the likelihood of colon cancer and diabetes, as well as a host of other ailments.
Western Diet
Much of the advice for healthy eating can be boiled down to one word: moderation. By eating different foods from every part of the food pyramid and watching your portion size, you can make your own personal American diet healthy and nutritious. We have more choices and more temptations than ever before, but ultimately, we also have the final say over what we eat. Take control, and enjoy.
Information for this article was provided by the department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University.
You can find out more about healthy living at AAA.com.
The Link Between Genetics And Cancer
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Genes are the reason your eyes are blue or brown, your hair is straight or curly, and you’re tall or short. But there’s much more to genetics than that, of course. In the last decade, scientists have made amazing advances in better understanding DNA—the biochemical basis of heredity—by cracking the human genetic code.
Doctors are using genetic discoveries to prevent cancers with landmark new vaccines, to develop better treatments with personalized medicine tailored to the patient’s DNA, and to identify people at high risk for certain cancers.
Is cancer a genetic disease? “Absolutely, but not strictly in the sense that most people think of it,” says Johnathan Lancaster, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Moffitt’s Women’s Oncology Department. Genes carry a specific set of instructions for the cells in your body, but sometimes the genetic material can be altered or mutated. That’s not always life-threatening, but it can be. The mutations can trigger the development of cancer due to a deregulation of the genes that control certain critical activities in cells.
Article courtesy of Moffitt Cancer Center. For more information about advances in the treatment of cancer, second opinions, cancer prevention, screening, clinical trials or support groups,
call 1-888-MOFFITT (663-3488) or visit InsideMoffitt.com and click on “Cancer Answers”
to email your questions.
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What Is Your Risk for Hereditary Cancer?
Breast and Ovarian Cancer
- Eastern European Jewish descent*
- Close family member (mother, father, sister, brother, grandparent, mother’s sister or brother, father’s sister or brother) with breast or ovarian cancer after age 50*
- Close family member with breast or ovarian cancer before age 50**
- Two or more close family members with breast or ovarian cancer, one before age 50***
- Close male family member with breast cancer***
- Personal history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer at age 45 or younger***
- Several relatives on the same side of the family with breast or ovarian cancer and one of the following: prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer or melanoma***
Thyroid Cancer
- Caucasian race*
- First-degree relative with thyroid cancer**
Melanoma
- Caucasian race*
- Fair skin and/or blonde or red hair*
- Large number of moles, especially large and oddly shaped ones*
- Close family relative with melanoma before age 50**
Colorectal Cancer
- African-American descent*
- Eastern European Jewish descent*
- Personal history of polyps or colorectal cancer**
- Close family member with colorectal cancer or polyps before age 50**
- History of two or more close family members at any age with a history of colorectal cancer or polyps**
Pancreatic Cancer
- African-American descent*
- Eastern European Jewish descent*
- Personal history of inherited chronic pancreatitis**
- Close family members with pancreatitis**
- Close family member with the inherited breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA2 gene defect)**
*You have a slightly increased risk of developing these cancers. Follow your doctor’s recommendations for screening.
**You have a higher-than-average chance of developing certain cancers based on your personal and family history. Ask your doctor about recommendations for early screening and the benefits of genetic counseling.
***You have a very high risk for developing certain family hereditary cancers. Talk with your doctor and/or consider genetic counseling.