What not to eat

Four of the worst foods you can eat

To lose weight and begin leading a healthier lifestyle, here are four foods that you should stop eating now

Bermuda is one of the most obese countries in the world. Seven out of 10 in our community are overweight Thirteen percent of the population is reported to have diabetes—the second highest among developed countries. And because of the high rate of diabetes, the number of lower limb amputations among Bermudians is higher than all other nations.

Paradoxically, we spend $11,000 per person on health more in health care than the average of the 30 countries comprised of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Yet we are not a healthy island. Far from it. The undeniable evidence is that we are spending far, far too much on treating the symptoms of an unhealthy lifestyle. Heart disease is four times higher than in Japan, Korea, and France, and is the leading cause of death in Bermuda. Life expectancy on our island has fallen to age 65.

“People are dying at 50,” says Dr. Neil many patients with diabetes. “And these are not just diabetics that are dying. These are people with poor diets and not enough exercise who are dying of heart attacks because of how they choose to eat.”

In the Western world, fast food is often blamed for the rise in obesity. Although we don’t have the ubiquitous McDonald’s arches looming over Front Street, we still have a “fast food” culture in Bermuda. There is, of course, KFC, grandfathered in before Parliament outlawed franchises in Bermuda. up their breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner from food trucks or roach coaches (as they are fondly referred to)—and then there are the pizza outlets. We have also seen the emergence of frozen yogurt and donut shops. Improving your diet isn’t easy, but the rewards are well worth it. The best time to start is today. Here are four foods that you can stop Doughnuts can wreak havoc on your health eating now to help you begin on the road to a healthier lifestyle. DOUGHNUTS Doughnuts have no purpose in your diet; they provide loads of calories and Doughnuts can wreak havoc on your health calories, while a chocolate-iced doughnut contains 350 calories. According to the website Family Doctor, 3,500 calories equal 1 pound. If you add a doughnut a day to your regular diet, you will gain about 1 extra pound every 10 days.

So, what’s wrong with eating a doughnut now and then?

“Some people say it’s ok to consume everything in moderation,” says Dr. Leonard Gibbons, PH, MPH, HT, RD. of Bermuda Wellness and Outreach Centre. “I don’t think this is the best advice. Some foods, such as doughnuts, are highly addictive for some people. If you tell them to eat in moderation, what’s going to happen? You’re going to keep going back for more doughnuts. So, some foods we need to avoid. If you can’t control the food, or the food is controlling you, you need to just cut

PIZZA Dr. Gibbons also says pizza is another food to avoid. “You see people coming out of certain restaurants with these huge pizzas, which are made with vegetables you are getting is in the tomato sauce, and there’s a lot of cheese, which of course has a lot of fat. This is not healthy food. Some people don’t want to rock the boat and speak out against these businesses because it’s about are supporting jobs.

Pizza restaurants are pushing food that is feeding the problems of obesity in our community

But these restaurants are pushing food that is feeding the problems (of obesity) in our community. We need to step in and push back against these types of foods. We need to let people know so that they can make some healthy choices. Until we do that, we will continue down this road where the level of obesity on the island will continue to rise.”

A typical slice from 14 inches of regular-crusted cheese pizza contains between 250 and 350 calories and 10 and 17 grams of fat, says Livestrong. com. Add pepperoni, sausage, increase your calorie and fat intake to almost 500 calories per slice with 26 grams of fat. Yes, that’s a whooping 500 calories per slice— and who has just one slice? The high fat content in these pizzas comes largely from saturated fats, too much of which can raise your risk of developing heart disease and, of course, cause excessive weight gain.

ICE CREAM & FROZEN YOGURT Again, the addiction factor is something to be aware of in frozen desserts, says Dr. Gibbons, especially where children are concerned. “When a child does something good, we reward them, and we give them something sweet. It’s like saying to a young person in one way ‘why don’t you taste a little alcohol?’ What it can set young people up for is a life-long struggle. They are told they can eat these things as a reward. So, whenever they feel down, where do they go?” questions Dr. Gibbons. So how can we help people in Bermuda to make better decisions about their eating habits and their health? The ice cream and yogurts shops do the opposite, with their brightly coloured facades making children want to go there. A prime example of the environment around us that does not promote healthy living.” “The fact that there’s yogurt, or low fat, in the name in no way exonerates

what’s in your cup,” says David Katz, M.D., founding director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center. “It’s not an alternative to yogurt, it’s an alternative to ice cream.”

And of course, it is a processed food— despite some brands being marketed as conducted a survey of major US frozen yogurt brands and came across ingredients such as guar gum, maltodextrin, sodium citrate, cellulose gum, disodium phosphate, and propylene glycol monoesters, to name just a few don’tsound-like-food ingredients.

But perhaps the bigger problem, says the there’s long ingredient lists full of additives sodium aren’t far behind. Indeed, sugar can be represented by a whole host of sneaky aliases on an ingredient list: fructose, dextrose, corn syrup, juice concentrates, polydextrose, and pure cane sugar are all, in a word, sugar.

Plus, frozen yogurt and ice cream are often loaded with sugary toppings that add even more calories. So, before you indulge in a frozen snack, think about what you’re putting inside your body. You’re not making a healthy choice. A 16-ounce cup with toppings could easily add up to a weight gaining 500 calories.

MACARONI & CHEESE “In Bermuda, one of the staples is macaroni and cheese,” says a local doctor. “We make it with is. And then you have cheese, which has quite a bit of fat, and, when you put that all together, the calories you are consuming is very high. Bermudians love to celebrate with food. They like to see you eating and enjoying yourself. That’s a common way of socialising. Often you are likely to include macaroni and cheese, and unless you practice limiting what you eat, you’re likely going to be consuming too much unhealthy food.”

Macaroni and cheese dishes are likely to be extremely calorie dense, high in fat, and have few nutrients. Taking a boxed mix and preparing according to the package directions, 1 cup contains about 376 calories. However, Bermudians tend to have their own “secret recipe” for mac and cheese, which is likely to be prepared with lots of butter and cheese, making it extremely rich and with even more calories and fat content. Kraft Mac and Cheese has 20 ingredients. Wikipedia says that the product sold in the United States includes Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 to make the food a brighter colour. In Europe, food that contains Yellow 5 requires a warning label saying, “This product attention in children.”

So next time you’re tempted to reach for that box in the cupboard to feed the kids, you might want to think again.

One in three Bermudians are obese