Ahh, Nostalgia
So many people claim to know what the ONE thing is that has turned our country from normal sized humans into overweight and obese people. Some claim it’s high fructose corn syrup, others blame McDonald’s, many say it’s the prevalence of soda pop, still others say we’re just “lazy Americans.” The reason I want to talk about this is that there are some clear cut reasons why we as a nation have gained weight over the past several decades (click on this link to see how our country’s weight has changed over the years) and that by recognizing some of the reasons that we’ve gotten girthier (is that even a word?), we can come up with solutions to change our behavior.
Portion Sizes Maybe this is one reason that Mickey-D’s gets such a bad rap. I remember going to McDonald’s when there were two sizes of fries: small, which is now “kid sized” and is served in Happy Meals, and large, which is now called, “medium.” I also remember that the largest drink is was a 20 ounce cup, and there were no refills. Adults ate a cheeseburger. With a small fry. And that was their meal, and it was reasonable.
But McDonald’s (poor McDonald’s, it’s not as if Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wendy’s haven’t done the same thing to pad their bottom lines all the while padding ours) isn’t the only “portion distorter” out there. Blame it on dish makers! You think I’m kidding? Plates, bowls, glasses have all gotten bigger. I remember not being able to fit a whole 12 ounce soda in a glass when I was a kid, these days I can fit a whole Diet Coke, ice and maybe even some rum. I bought a set of dishes and had to seek out smaller bowls to use for cereal (though the manufacturer called them “ice cream bowls” and they’re still too big for either ice cream or cereal) because the bowls that came with the set hold 4 cups! (I just measured.) Four cups! That’s an enormous portion of chili, cereal or ice cream.
Snacking These days food is everywhere! People often wonder how the French can eat high fat food and still stay slim. This is one thing that separates the U.S. from the French; they don’t snack. How many of you out there are over 40? Except in childhood, do you remember snacking before the mid-1980’s? For children, and especially teenagers, it’s sometimes necessary for them to get snacks because if they’re eating healthy, normal meals, it’s difficult for them to get all the calories they need from three meals per day. For the rest of us, there’s no reason to eat snacks. (It works if you eat less at meal time, but usually meals don’t change.) It’s OK to be hungry before lunch. It’s OK to be hungry before dinner. That’s our bodies’ way of letting us know it’s time for food.
Less Moving It’s not huge changes, but lots and lots of little ones. Do you ever roll down a car window? Probably not, you push a button. Have you been using the manual ringer on your washing machine? (Sorry, if you’re under 40 you have no idea what I’m talking about. I only vaguely remember them.) Do you hang your clothes on a clothesline? How about the last time you kneaded bread dough? Maybe you used your Kitchenaid or bread maker, but more likely you just bought bread like I do. Heck, cars are even easier to drive–there are rarely standard transmissions and everyone has power steering. And when was the last time you walked to work, church, school, your friend’s house? Think back to the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. I’ll bet you walked a lot more.
“Special Foods” became common food My husband and I laugh about how getting soda pop was a special occasion when we were kids. Even “fast food” type food was a rarity. Having French fries and hamburgers for school lunch happened once a week, not every day. There are foods that used to be staples and other “special” foods were offered occasionally. Now those “special” foods such as pizza, chicken nuggets, soda pop and candy are all too common and have even replaced those staples of milk, bread, fruits and vegetables. (Remember when celery with peanut butter was a yummy treat or that little red box of raisins was a perfect snack?)
Easy Access to Food Do you remember when gas stations just sold gas, motor oil, windshield wiper blades and anti-freeze? Now they have fried chicken, burritos, two aisles of candy bars, fountain drinks, bottled drinks, nachos. And lots of times they even have a drive through window.
People Don’t Cook Everyone (well, OK, at least all girls) used to know how to prepare a roast, mash potatoes, scramble eggs, create a meatloaf and grill a cheese sandwich. I do see that there are a lot of people who love to cook and seek out knowledge about how to do it better, tastier and healthier, but there are many people who simply never learned how to throw together a vegetable omelette (a healthy, quick, inexpensive meal). If people don’t know how to make a tuna casserole, they probably don’t know the best way to tweak it so it’s healthier. By cooking at home, we can save money, control what we put in our bodies and spend more time eating around a table, sharing time with family and friends.
I’m not about to trade my internet and cell phone for the way things used to be, but there are certain things from “days of yore” that we could incorporate into our lives so that we’re healthier and slimmer. Eating smaller portions, snacking less, eating more fruits and vegetables, finding ways to move more and eating less of “special” food such as candy and fried foods are all ways that we can change our lifestyles so we can be normal weight and healthier.
May you be happy, healthy and a little “retro” in your eating,
Regan
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