Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating

            Healthy eating habit is achieved through the consumption of a balanced diet, which is strongly recommended by nutritionists. Balance diet does not mean consuming a large quantity of foods in the five groups but within the required limits. Individuals should strain to adapt to this practice since it has been proved to have a range of benefits.  Healthy eating limits the rate at which diseases attack individuals’ bodies and boost the immune system, hence offering sufficient protection. In the case of HIV/AIDS, eating a balanced diet is a way of suppressing this virus; thus, victims have possibilities of living exultant lives. Besides, healthy eating entails vital nutrients, such as fats, vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals. In the United States, a healthy diet can be understood through readily available data and the encountered challenges. This trend can be compared in the world so that effective practical steps are to ensure that the U.S. citizens have realized healthy eating.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2), the current intake of vitamin consumption is lowest in girls aged between fourteen to eighteen and boys nine to thirteen years as per the required limit. Adults have shown a higher intake of vitamin consumption but below the established limit. Besides, all the people are unable to consume all the categories of vegetables. Tomatoes are preferred within the U.S. population, which accounts for eighteen percent, while twenty-one percent accounts for the potato consumption.

Also, a satisfied consumption of fruits for almost the entire population in the state is still low. Many children who fall in the ages between one to eight years are unable to move towards the full consumption of fruits satisfying level. Girls aged 14-18years consume lower fruits compared to adults aged between eighteen to fifty years (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 5). Adolescent youths and elderly women, who are over fifty years show efforts by reaching the required level of the fruit intake, while higher consumption is on those aged between one to eight years. On the other hand, the current grain intake in the U.S. is near the targeted limit for the entire population.

Furthermore, dairy consumption among the population does not correlate with that of Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern since it is below the recommended level. Children between one to eight years reach the required limit compared to the remaining population, which records lower intakes. In this population, dairy drops by age with consumption, where it is highest at childhood and lower at adult years. The present consumption of proteins in the population is nearly equal to the recommended limit, except for the processed foodstuffs. All people in the United States consume little amounts of soy, while protein foods, such as eggs, are higher in males.

In this population, most people eat adequate nutrients compared to other nations. Women aged between nineteen to fifty years consume small amounts of vitamins, choline, and calcium. Besides, the percentage calorie intake in the United States population is 11%, with a consistent framework of less than ten percent being followed, which represents 27% of the entire population. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (6), the approximate fat consumption on the younger population falls between 11.6% and 12.6%, while the adults are 10.9%.

Fig 1 showing a comparison of recommended Percent of the U.S. Population Ages 1 Year and Older Who Are Below, At, or Above Each Dietary Goal or Limit

From the above analysis, the unhealthy eating habits in the United States is contributed by some key challenges. First, individuals’ taste preference is a major contributor towards poor healthy eating. Many people tend to like salty, fatty, and sweeter meals compared to healthy ones. The National Research Council Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (3) claims that the types of diets women consume during lactation or pregnancy determine some child’s early flavor experiences. Many people in the United States have developed unhealthy eating habits as a result of this factor, hence limiting their efforts to shift to a more balanced diet.

Second, Americans’ social and personal factors have made many people focus on a more dietary eating style (National Research Council 3). Food’s irregular availability and deprivation of a person’s childhood determine their intake behaviors, such as less healthy foods and overeating. Family structures involving roles and responsibilities, married versus single-parenthood, health status, and children play key roles in determining healthy eating habits. For instance, most families have a trend of purchasing less dietary foods, hence forcing others to stick to it. Also, most people are forced to stick to low-quality foods as a result of poverty and frequent decline in food security, where the low-income population is the most disadvantaged group.
Furthermore, in this population, employment status is strongly linked to the consumption of high dietary meals. For instance, many jobs, shift work, tight schedules, and long working hours directly impact energy and duration required in preparation and obtaining of meals. Most workers in this population tend to practice poor behaviors due to prancing family meals and having little time with families (National Research Council 4). Besides, there are just a few individuals who have flexible schedules to support their personal resources and responsibilities, such as cooking. Also, in this U.S. population, prolonged working mothers have little time to attend to their needs and the household in terms of dietary preparation.

Prevalent acculturation is a regular challenge in this group, which contributes towards a poor diet. There is constant immigration that is associated with changes in food availability and dietary needs. The availability of Latina is linked to adequate food, specifically mothers (National Research Council 4). Also, they prefer meals that have high sugar content and inadequate vegetables. According to the National Research Council, a study conducted further indicates that those who have visited the United States for one year have an insufficient food supply, up to seventy-three percent compared to those who have spent more than three years.

In the United States, the comparison of a high diet and the rest of the world is achieved through different food pyramids.  Every country has a different style of realizing this practice, hence achieving the development of food pyramids. For instance, in China, it is called Chinese food guide pagoda, while in Belgium, it is the food triangle (Victoria, Ferrão, and Fernandes 65). The food pyramid in the United States is known as My Plate, which represents a simple plate graphic that has 4 quadrants and a cup, indicating dairy. The principles of MyPlate entails healthy eating habits of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains accompanied by dairy.

Several practical steps are recommended to satisfy the high American dietary needs. First, there is a need for maintaining a ten percent daily calorie consumption. In this case, Americans should strive to use monounsaturated fats and avoid more saturated foods. Practical approaches to realizing this goal may entail a critical assessment of food tags to select those having lower amounts and for people to entirely stick to a well-planned structure of eating foods with less fats.

Moreover, people in the United States prefer taking high sugary foods; therefore, there is a need to embrace change through different approaches. First, they should reduce their fat consumption or maintain within the specified limits of ten percent calories. Besides, there is a need for minimizing portions of sweet snacks and dairy desserts. Changing the trend of using fats to oils among the people should also be welcomed by using vegetable oil in dishes and encouraging natural oil foods, such as nuts and seafood.

Additionally, it is recommended that Americans should be empowered so that they can increase their chances of assessing their meals, such as the development of more supermarkets. In this population, minority groups and poor populations show minimal opportunities for accessing food outlets (Renee, Keane, and Burke, 879). This situation paralyzes their struggles of eating high dietary foods, such as vegetables. Also, the development of these outlets lowers transportation costs, hence saving money to purchase healthier foods.

Besides, there is a need for the utilization of platforms, such as social media and various meetings educate people about the importance of having nutritious abilities, skills, and knowledge (Jessica et al., 640). This approach will enable the United States citizens to develop a connection between high strong immunity and a balanced diet. The availability of these educational platforms can help to realize a change in the dietary behaviors for the Americans. Also, nutritional education will play an essential role in enabling the population to realize the need for embracing healthy dishes.

In conclusion, healthy eating among Americans has not yet reached the required specified standards. Some of the key challenges that have led to this practice among Americans include taste preferences, social and personal factors, employment status, and acculturation. Healthy eating habits among the United States population can be compared with other countries using food pyramids. Overcoming these challenges needs consumption of low fats and sugary foods, improve access to food outlets, and practicing nutritional education.