We get it. You are busy, stressed out and tired at the end of the day.

You crave comfort food like pizza, pasta and ice cream. You’re too tired to cook so you rely on frozen food, take out, delivery or the drive through. During the day, stress or boredom has you reaching for salty or sweet snacks. It’s completely understandable given life’s demands.

But eating this way is making you fat…and potentially sick. And it doesn’t have to be this way. Overweight and obesity is a major crisis in the United States.

According to the CDC, over 73% of U.S. adults aged 20-74 are overweight and 40% are obese. This is up from 23% in 1994. Three dietary trends have contributed to this rapid weight gain:  1) Consumption of a Western style diet, 2) Increased consumption of ultra-processed and fast food, and 3) Increased fast food consumption.

The Western diet, aka the Standard American Diet (SAD), is a major cause of obesity and serious chronic diseases.  

This diet is characterized by a high intake of processed meat (i.e. bacon), red meat, high fat dairy, refined grains (i.e. white rice, pasta) and refined sugar. These foods are generally high in calories, saturated fat and sugar and low in nutrients, healthy fat and fiber. They increase cholesterol and blood sugar levels. They stimulate the appetite which leads to overeating. We recognize these foods as pastrami sandwiches, steak, pasta, muffins, bagels and ice cream.

A study of five major dietary patterns (Western, DASH, Mediterranean, Prudent, 7th Day Adventist) and their impact on obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, found that the Western diet was the only pattern strongly associated with weight gain, risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS is a dangerous cluster of conditions including elevated blood pressure, blood sugar, belly fat, cholesterol and triglycerides. MetS significantly increases your risk for developing heart disease, stroke, depression and diabetes.

In contrast, adhering to the Mediterranean diet reduced participants’ risk of becoming overweight or obese and lowered BMI scores and belly fat in those who were overweight. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes unsaturated fat from seafood, olive oil, nuts and avocado, lean protein (i.e. chicken breast), whole grains, legumes, and fresh fruits and vegetables. This diet is nutrient and fiber dense and has been shown to lower cholesterol and blood sugar and reduce the risk for developing MetS and cardiovascular disease.

Another major contributor to overweight and obesity is increased consumption of ultra-processed foods.

These foods are cheap, industrial formulations based mainly on corn, soy and wheat grains, that are stripped of fiber and nutrients and are high in salt, sugar, saturated fat, and additives to increase shelf life and palatability. Examples are frozen pizza, canned raviolis and packaged cookies. These foods are convenient so it’s no surprise that they account for 58% of Americans’ total energy intake and provide 89.7% of energy intake from added sugars.

Ultra-processed foods tend to spike blood sugar, increasing cravings for more processed foods that lead to overconsumption.

A recent study found that adults who ate an ultra-processed food diet vs. an unprocessed food diet consumed 508 more total calories, 280 more calories from carbohydrates and 230 more calories from fat per day. Increased caloric intake was highly correlated with weight gain and increased body fat. In addition, those who ate ultra-processed foods tended to eat their meals at a faster rate.

The third major contributing factor to weight gain is the increased consumption of fast foods and increased portion sizes.

Fast food is calorie dense and nutrient poor but highly convenient and designed to be craveable. A study found that 11% of Americans’ daily calorie intake comes from fast food vs. only 4% in 1977. For every meal eaten outside the home, calorie intake increases by 100-200 kcal/day. Fast food chains have been increasing menu variety and portion sizes. From 1986 to 2016, the number of entrees, sides and desserts for all fast food chains has increased by 226%. ‍

Portion sizes on fast food menus have increased by 39 grams for entrees and 36 grams for desserts, leading to increased calorie intake. In one 6-month study, those who ate a large lunch (1,600 kcal) did not compensate with smaller breakfasts and dinners but simply ate more calories per day and gained more weight than those who ate small to moderate lunches (400 kcal/800 kcal).

Given the many stresses and lack of time many of us experience, it seems to make sense to choose instantly gratifying, convenient food options for ourselves and our families. However, eating this way is causing dangerous weight gain and increasing our risk for major chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.

So how do we reverse weight gain?

You can start with following the Mediterranean diet guidelines.

Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Swap refined carbs for whole grains. For example, try brown rice instead of white rice. Swap red and processed meat with chicken breast, ground turkey and salmon. Swap candy and cookies with fresh fruit. Swap high fat dairy and corn oil with low fat dairy and olive oil. Increase your intake of nutritious vegetables. Here is what your ideal meal should look like most of the time.  

Choose healthy, easy recipes like the ones offered by the Myers Group.

Get in the habit of planning your meals, making your grocery list and shopping for the week over the weekend when you have more time. You can even do some food prep (link to food prep handout) ahead of time to make weeknight cooking even more convenient.

Conduct a kitchen makeover.

If it’s in your kitchen, you will eventually eat it so you want to have mostly healthy options available. Making over the kitchen requires taking a hard gulp and throwing out all the calorie dense, nutrient poor foods in your cupboards and fridge, including sweets, chips, refined grains, and processed meats.

Keep healthy snacks in your car.

Or your purse or briefcase so you won’t be as tempted to stop at the drive through on your way home from work or school.

​Small changes in habits can lead to big results over time so don’t be discouraged if changing your diet and seeing the subsequent weight loss takes a bit longer than you expect. The most important thing is that you are making changes that are sustainable and comfortable.