HEALTHY EATING

HEALTHY EATING HABITS SURVEY

Question A: Do you eat breakfast?• Why should we?

Need to “break the fast”. Increase mental function, energy, and concentration. Include 3 out of 4 food groups for a balanced breakfast.

(ie. bowl of cereal with banana slices).

Question B: Do you eat when you are hungry?• Why should we?

People lose the ability to listen to their body’s hunger cues.

HEALTHY EATING HABITS SURVEY

Question C: Do you snack between meals?• Why should we?

Important to have snacks to maintain blood sugar level and meet increased energy needs during growth.

Choose healthy snacks more often. Important that people eat appropriate number of

servings and nutrients each day. Try to include 2 out of 4 food groups.

Question D: Do you eat healthy snacks?• Why should we?

Include more grains, vegetables and fruits as snacks.

HEALTHY EATING HABITS SURVEY

Question E: Do you eat while watching television?• Why shouldn’t we?

Tend to eat, even if not hungry. Often eat “nutrient poor” foods.

Question F: Do you eat until you feel full?• Why shouldn’t we?

It takes about 20 minutes for the body to feel full.

HEALTHY EATING HABITS SURVEY Question G: Do you eat at least 3 meals a day?

• Why should we? Missing meals may lead to not eating enough to supply

nutrients and energy. In time metabolism may decrease as the body becomes

better at storing food as fat.

Question H: Do you eat fast food on a regular basis?• Why shouldn’t we?

Often has higher fat and salt. Often lower vegetables, fruit and fiber. May not be getting enough nutrients and servings.

HEALTHY EATING HABITS SURVEY

Question I: Can you tell when you are full?• Why can’t we sometimes?

Most people lose the ability to listen to their body’s hunger/satiety cues.

Society programmed people to associate eating with situations, even when not hungry.

Question J: Do you wish you could stop eating?• Why shouldn’t we?

Long-term starvation leads to extreme weight loss, heat irregularities, pale skin, hair loss on head, fine hair growth on face and hands.

HEALTHY EATING HABITS SURVEY Question K: Do you think you would be thin if

you ate less?• Why shouldn’t we?

Short-term water loss. Long-term, body fights to maintain set point. Eventually gain back weight and more unless lifestyle change and

increased metabolism

Question L: Do you finish your meal even when are full?• Why shouldn’t we?

If not listening to body and hunger cues, will consume more than needed.

Leads to weight gain if energy expenditure not balanced.

HEALTHY EATING HABITS SURVEY – SAMPLE GRAPH

A B C D0

5

10

15

20

25

30

YESNO

How does one achieve and maintain a desirably body size and weight without dieting?

Adopt healthy eating habits• Follow Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy

Eating• Eat when you are hungry, not bored

Engage in daily physical activity• Include strength, endurance, and flexibility

activities Learn to accept yourself

• Feel good about yourself

“SET POINT THEORY” Each body has a particular weight that it tends to maintain.

Genetics play a key role in determining body weight.

Set point range can fluctuate between 5 and 10 lbs. and cannot be permanently lowered through dieting.

If an individual’s weight is below or above their set point range, their body will experience physiological and emotional changes to re-establish itself.

There is no “ideal” weight for those of the same height and age because people have different body shapes and frames.

Healthy eating and regular exercise will help lead to a healthy weight.

Assessing Weights of Growing Teens

A valid method to “measure” and assess the weights of adolescents to determine whether they are healthy is NOT available in Canada.

Teens grow at different rates to the end of puberty.

Changes in body shape and size are also influenced by family genetics, eating patterns and physical activity level.

BMI A measure of healthy weight range called the Body Mass

Index (BMI) is available for people between the ages of 20-65 because they have complete their linear growth.

The BMI is not suitable as a tool to estimate a healthy weight range for growing teenagers.

BMI Weight Status

Below 18.5 Underweight

18.5 -24.9 Normal

25 - 29.9 Overweight

30 & Above Obese

BMI = (weight in pounds * 703 ) ( kg/m² ) ————————————

height in inches²

CHALLENGE Give up Favourite Junk Food for 1

week.

FOOD AND ACTIVITY TRACKING SHEET

Analyze your food consumption over the next 4 days, as well as yesterday (Sunday) for all meals and snacks.

For food each item determine which of the categories (Grain Product [GP], Vegetables and Fruits [VF], Milk Products [MP], Meat and Alternatives [MA] and Other Foods [OF]) it falls under, and check it off on the marking sheet

Analyze your current Physical Activity level (i.e., Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type) based on current standards.

Lastly, recognize the balance or imbalance between your energy in and your energy out.