Over Weight Is A Lifestyle Problem
All sections in the affluent nations and the affluent sections in the poorer countries have a major health problem of obesity and overweight. This is now recognized as a lifestyle problem with the sedentary nature of work and life as well as the change in the kind of food that are consumed. Processed food has been systematically replacing fresh food in the departmental stores and the supermarkets. It is of course easier to prepare processed food and suits very well the hectic life in the cities.
The major cause of overweight is the consumption of beverages and fast food or junk food as they are called. This is now a well recognized fact. Alongside, the weight loss market is flourishing. A number of solutions have been propounded such as diet food, diet restructuring, medication, herbal appetite suppressant and surgeries. There are many publications and e-books on reducing belly fat and burn away the fat quickly replacing with muscles.
Modern technologies and techniques are used by the processing industry to process the fresh food so that they remain fresh for a longer time and the shelf life is increased. Bacterial infection of the food is also minimized. The techniques commonly used include separation of various components, pasteurization, salting, autoclaving, cooling and drying. These are made available on the shelves in the stores and they require hardly any further preparation or are easy to prepare before they are consumed.
Separation techniques such as centrifugation, pressing and milling are used to extract juices, flour, oils etc as well as minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins. These processes modify the nutrient content of the food. Phytochemicals, vitamins and other substances are often lost when food is heated. The nutritional value of the food is modified and lowered. The need to enrich the processed food with additional important nutrient arises as a result. The processed food is inferior in terms of nutrient value when compared to the fresh wholesome food. Fresh foods have more sodium, GI starches, fiber, potassium, unoxidized essential fatty acids and vitamins. Harmful substances such as oxidized fats and trans fatty acids are often found in processed food.
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