Various members of the community offered information on what they think about weight loss, health and fitness.
Joe Petersen, avid cyclist and owner of Building Better Bodies personal training gym, said that he thinks that the lack of water consumption is a huge issue.
“People always use artificial sweeteners such as Chrystal Light in water because they want to make it taste better, but how could you not like the taste of water?” Petersen said. “It’s so pure and refreshing, and it acts as a natural cleansing system for the body.”
“That combined with the low-carbohydrate dieting,” said Petersen. “Your body needs carbohydrates for energy, and if you don’t eat carbohydrates then eventually your body will start to eat muscle for fuel. Sure, you’ll weigh less in the long run but the less muscle you have, the harder it is for your body to metabolize what you consume.”
NICU Dietician Maria Trabazo spoke about diet soft drinks and how she thinks they are worse for you than other beverages.
“Diet soda is especially one of the worst things you can consume,” said Trabazo. “It’s even worse for you than regular soda because the intense sweetness in diet soft drinks makes the brain want more regular sweeteners.
“Diet soft drink consumption eventually leads to a bigger waistline and an increase in body mass index, not to mention the damage you are doing to your kidneys and the increased risk of diabetes.”
Staff physician at Kern Medical Center Jan Trobisch speaks about the lack of fresh produce and consumption of fast food.
“We live in a society that is on the go all the time and we rely on and consume so much fast food due to the convenience and cost efficiency, so it makes it difficult to make better choices,” said Trobisch. “Fast food restaurants do offer some healthy options but they really aren’t that good for you. Why do you think they are so cheap? We also need to regulate portion sizes. Portion control is a major issue in America.
“If society would take the time to care for themselves by incorporating more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and other whole foods they would see a major difference not only in their weight but their overall health as well. The only downfall is that you would have to go to the grocery store more often because fresh produce doesn’t last as long as other products.”
Personal Trainer April Morphis thinks that the lack of exercise is the biggest issue that society has.
“Sure, you can eat really super healthy but with the lack of exercise, your body will have issues metabolizing the food that you do consume no matter how healthy it is,” she said. “Exercising is good for the body and the mind. If people could work out at least three days a week then that would improve their health significantly. Exercising could be fun. It’s all about finding a workout routine that works for you and your schedule and actually sticking to it.”