America, 100 Percent Fat

Experts predict that nearly 100 percent of the population will be overweight in our lifetime.

One glance around a shopping mall, at a children's playground—or even down at your own belly—and you realize that with each passing year, more and more Americans are dramatically changing shape.

The stats are staggering.

The number of obese adults has doubled in just 20 years, with 67 percent of the adult population overweight or obese, according to recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control.

Take The Test: Body Mass Index www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi

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HITTING 'EM WHERE IT HURTS


Tom Johnson runs on a treadmill at the Western & Southern Financial Group headquarters building in Cincinnati. The company is encouraging employees to reduce their health risks as insurance costs climb.
More employers beginning to penalize overweight employees


By LISA CORNWELL ASSOCIATED PRESS CINCINNATI

First they tried nudging.
Now. companies are penalizing workers who have high health risks such as obesity and high blood pressure or cholesterol as insurance costs climb.

Lee Morrison, 51, doesn't mind the push, which came in the form of added insurance charges from his employer, Western & Southern Financial Group ..
"I knew if I wanted to be healthier and pay less, it was up to me to do something about it," said Mr. Morrison, who has lost 54 pounds
and lowered his body mass index enough to earn refunds the past two years.

A small number of companies have linked health factors to what employees pay for benefits, but the practice is expected to grow now that some federal rules have been finalized, spelling out what's allowed by law. Employee advocates worry that other anti-discrimination laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act won't cover the person who is 20 or 30 pounds overweight.
The businesses are deducting from employees' paychecks, adding insurance surcharges or offering insurance discounts or rebates only to low-risk workers.

"Employers know they have to do something," said Garry Mathiason, a senior part-ner at the national employment and labor law firm Littler Mendelson, based in Boston. "I believe that in just the next two years more employers will turn to penalties to change employee behavior."
Mr. Mathiason- said more than 300 companies have sought advice on creating more aggressive wellness programs since the firm released a study in April on legal issues and trends associated with requiring healthy practices.

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Nutrition:

Have a nutritional Plan that complements training and racing

Practice Nutritional Plan during some "C" or "B" race

Daily Eating Plan has 2 Parts:

Total calories for weight management (keeping the same, losing or gaining weight, whatever is appropriate).

Then a flexible amount of calories based on how much exercise is completed that day. So if one burns 500 calories in a workout, eat up to about 500 calories throughout the day. Most heart rate monitors will give a good estimate of how many calories were burned during a workout.

Day Before a Race

Typical eating patterns; however, depending on the race distance and weather, one might adjust for the race the next day. If going for a longer race,consider eating a little more without feeling too "full" prior to the race. If the race day will be hot, drink more throughout the day(s) leading up to the race.

Race Day

Practice drinking enough in training at the intensity for your "A" race.

Practice getting in 30 to 60 grams carbohydrates an hour during workouts so one can do it race day. In practice don't think, "I can make it through this workout without eating or drinking" since one is using up stored glucose/glycogen in muscles and liver before the next workout.

Immediately after a race or training, eat 50 to 100 grams of carbohydrates/hour along with some protein to replenish glycogen stores and repair muscles. Recovery drinks with carbohydrates and proteins make it easy to do this if one can't eat a lot immediately after the race.

Day After a Race:

Continue healthy eating to assist in recovery from the race Consider higher levels of carbohydrates and protein.

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American College of Sports Medicine • Current Comment
PRE-EVENT MEALS

It is well established that exercise performance can be affected by diet and, in order to maintain
optimal training, the body must be properly refueled with appropriate nutrients. The pre-event meal is
an integral part of the complete training plan. Of course, a single pre-event meal will not compensate
for a poor training diet. For this reason, the active person should routinely follow basic nutrition
guidelines. It is essential that the diet contain enough calories to cover the active person’s daily
energy expenditure. It is also advised that the diet be composed of a wide variety of foods to ensure
adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. The training diet should be high in carbohydrate without
compromising necessary protein and fat.
The pre-event meal should have a definite focus on carbohydrate intake. Prioritizing carbohydrates is
supported by evidence that exercise performance is typically enhanced following a high carbohydrate
meal as compared to a low carbohydrate meal. Carbohydrate in the liver and muscles (glycogen) can
be metabolized to provide energy for the working muscle more rapidly than fat, allowing a person to
sustain a higher intensity level of exercise. Therefore, its depletion would inevitably result in a need to
reduce exercise intensity or discontinue exercise. Although the body’s glycogen storage is limited, the
diet should provide enough carbohydrate to maximize glycogen stores, particularly for those
participating in endurance events. The basic goals of the pre-event meal are as follows: (1) prevent
weakness and fatigue, whether due to low blood sugar levels or inadequate muscle glycogen stores,
during the event, (2) ward off feelings of hunger yet minimize gastrointestinal distress from eating,
and (3) guarantee optimal hydration. In addition, individual preferences must be considered. If a
person truly believes that a specific food will improve performance, then the psychological effect of
consuming that food may result in enhanced performance.
The meal should consist primarily of carbohydrates and fluids, as they can be easily digested. If the
meal is small (400-500 Calories), it can be consumed approximately 2-3 hours prior to an event
allowing enough time for digestion and absorption. If the meal is high in fat, protein, or fiber, extra
time must be allowed for digestion. Also, as the amount of food consumed increases, so will the time
needed for digestion. A large meal containing appreciable amounts of protein or fat may need to be
eaten 5-6 hours before competition. Carbohydrates high in fiber and gas-forming (bran products,
legumes, and certain vegetables, such as onion, cabbage and cauliflower) are not recommended as
they may cause intestinal discomfort. A liquid source of carbohydrate can be taken prior to the event
when schedules do not allow time for meals or for those who have a sensitive stomach or experience
pre-competition anxiety. Liquid meals can include sports drinks, juices, low-fat smoothies and shakes.
Carbonated drinks should be avoided as they may cause stomach discomfort. Caffeinated drinks
should be considered on an individual basis. For some individuals, caffeine may be ergogenic, most
notably in sparing muscle glycogen and thereby prolonging fatigue during endurance events.
However, for others it may cause nausea and anxiousness. In addition, an excess of caffeine can
contribute to dehydration through its diuretic effect.
The pre-event meal is particularly important before a morning event, since as much as 12 hours or
more may have passed since the last meal and liver glycogen levels could be sub-optimal. The preevent
meal could replenish glycogen stores and decrease chance of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
and therefore, delay fatigue. Since early morning pre-event meals may need to be limited in size, it
would be important to consume a substantial carbohydrate dinner the night before. Again, plenty of
liquids should also be consumed to ensure maximum hydration status.
Suggestions for pre-event food choices are listed below:
Morning events:
The night before, eat a high-carbohydrate meal. Early morning, eat a light breakfast or snack:
cereal and non-fat milk, fresh fruit or juice, toast, bagel or English muffin, pancakes or
waffles, non-fat or low-fat fruit yogurt, or a liquid pre-event meal
Afternoon events:
Eat a high-carbohydrate meal both the night before and for breakfast. Follow with a light lunch:
salads with low-fat dressings, turkey sandwiches with small portions of turkey,
fruits, juice, low-fat crackers, high-carbohydrate nutritional bars,
pretzels, rice cakes
Evening events:
Eat a high-carbohydrate breakfast and lunch, followed by a light meal or snack:
pasta with marinara sauce, rice with vegetables, light-cheese pizza with vegetable
toppings, noodle or rice soups with crackers, baked potato, frozen yogurt
No one food or group of foods works for everybody; the person may need to experiment to find which
foods, and the amount of food, that works best. Food choices may vary based on the type of
exercise, as well as the intensity and duration of the exercise. However, it is important to experiment
with new foods during training rather than around competition.
Written for the American College of Sports Medicine
by
Helen DeMarco, M.S., R.D.
Permission to reprint this American College of Sports Medicine "Current Comment" contingent upon the article being reprinted
in-total and without alteration, and with the printing of the following citation on each page or Web screen: "Reprinted with permission of the
American College of Sports Medicine, "Pre-Event Meals," November 2002, www.acsm.org.