In this illustrative scenario, we explore how the DietSensor App can provide support people with obesity in terms of making informed food decisions and seeking to address their condition.
According to the date from September 1 2016 published on StateOfObesity.org, in the United States “adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in four states, 30 percent in 25 states and are above 20 percent in all states. Louisiana has the highest adult obesity rate at 36.2 percent and Colorado has the lowest at 20.2 percent.”
Ever since Dave was at elementary school back in the 1980’s, he remembers being the odd one out because he was large. He was called different names and the rest of his class didn’t let him join in the games they played. It hurt his feelings but also gave him the resolve to try and educate himself with regards to food. He tried to make smart choices, which could be challenging at times, given that the food choices available at his school were typically pizza, burgers and fries.
It is no secret that the amount of calories people eat and drink has a direct impact on their weight. If we consume the same amount of calories that the body needs and burns, then the weight stays constant. The rule of thumb is that if we consume more calories, our weight goes up, and if we consume less, our weight comes down.
Food and nutrition education is really important, and once Dave saw the nutritional values in the fast food that we as a nation so readily consume, he was shocked. That was really the turning point in his food journey. As Dave entered adulthood he really made an effort to take control over his weight, educating himself through books and researching online.
We’re bombarded with advertisements for fast food, candy and soda. Fast food is convenient and an easy trap to fall into as it’s generally cheap to buy. Even so-called medical ‘experts’ give conflicting advice. The question that Dave has been asking are does it matter where the calories come from? From specific nutrients like fat, protein or carbohydrates? Does the type of food matter – like whole grains or potato chips?
What Dave found after reading various studies was that a balanced diet is better than just cutting out fat completely or not eating carbohydrates at all. Finding that balance, and seeking to maintain that with the correct type of exercise that benefits ‘heavier’ people such as Dave is key.
Dave now uses the DietSensor App and knows that slow and consistent weight loss is the most beneficial, rather than the ‘boom and bust’ diets where rapid weight loss often results in the weight being put back on plus, typically 10%, according to studies. What really interested Dave about DietSensor was the ability to completely personalize his own program and set realistic goals that are gradually helping him to lose weight progressively. It gives him guidelines for nutrition levels broken out by meal times. Doing this enables him to track carbs, proteins and fat and get recommendations around what type of food (and how much) to eat for his next meal in order to stay on track. After each meal, 250 short lessons about nutrition and weight loss have made it easy for Dave to make educated choices. He was not the same before and after.
What Dave has also found is that it doesn’t have to be expensive to eat a healthy balanced diet. In fact, he found a really great farmer’s market in his neighborhood and can buy local and organic produce for a reasonable price. He joined a local walking group and started walking, his goal being to build up his stamina and eventually take up running and cycling. Dave has also taken space in a communal garden so he can actually start to grow his own veggies.
Dave has started really taking control of his diet using DietSensor, and has more energy and a more positive outlook. DietSensor is not a silver bullet by any means, and at the end of the day like most things in life, you get out what you put in, but it’s a really good tool that is helping folks like Dave to improve their standard of living at their own pace and start to make the changes they feel they need.
The App promotes self-discipline, which is a vital ingredient in sustaining weight loss. Of course, it requires commitment and dedication, but, in Dave’s case, he decided to make a choice for himself, as he just refused to become just another negative statistic. He said ‘enough is enough.’
