Everything in Moderation?

I don't think so.

Several of my friends believe that moderation is key to maintaining a healthy diet. My problem with this belief is that most of America applies this adage to foods that lack any nutritional value and are made with ingredients that can lead to serious health problems. These harmful ingredients include sugar, caffeine, trans fats and polyunsaturated fats, MSG, dyes, aspartame and other taste enhancing chemicals.

Think about where "everything in moderation" has gotten us. According to the CDC, "America has become obesogenic, characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, nonhealthful foods, and physical inactivity." In addition, our rates of heart disease and cancer have steadily increased with each new year. Our lazy love affair with junk food is killing us, and we are too caught up in the emotion of what feels and tastes good to face the reality.

Another issue I have with "everything in moderation" is the challenge of quantifying "moderation." For instance, if I want to indulge in scoop of ice cream, is it moderate to have one scoop per day, per week, at birthday parties and picnics only? And what size scoop is moderate? Can I have 2 or 3 scoops sometimes? How about a large bowl or an ice cream sundae? What if I skip dinner and just have a pint of ice cream instead? I think someone told me about an ice cream diet once....

You see how moderating our food intake can become confusing, especially for individuals who are food addicts and engage in compulsive eating behaviors.  Watch an episode of "The Biggest Loser", and you'll learn that food addiction and obesity are the result of emotions triggered by life circumstances. In our country, food has become a way to cope with life. I've heard my girlfriends say at one time or another that they turn to food when they are depressed. It's a vicious cycle. Our favorite comfort foods tend to include ingredients with addictive qualities that lead to cravings for more. Telling someone who self-medicates with food that it's okay to eat anything as long as it's in moderation is like telling an alcoholic that it's okay to drink a beer every once in a while.

Think about the long term consequences of what you ingest before you grab something out of the vending machine on your short lunch hour or before you swing through the drive-thru after a long, hard day. Don't allow what you decide to put into your body to get the better of you. Avoid an epitaph that reads: "He loved and was loved by sugar and fat. He lies here to rest because of Big Mac."

R.I.P.