Arm yourself against Potato Chips - the Worst Enemy of a Weight Watcher!!!

Is there a one single food item that contributes the most towards gaining weight? The latest research in America has studied the weight gain of men and women over a 20 year period. The kilos of weight are packed on gradually over the decades and many people struggle to control and stop the weight gain without realizing what’s causing it.

Some factors that were considered were lack of exercise, sleep timing, quitting smoking and of course unhealthy diet (consumption of fatty foods like chips, candies, chocolates, sweet sodas, (aerated drinks) etc.

Among these they found that unhealthy diet and lack of exercise are the leading causes of obesity. However, between the two, an unhealthy diet with a high consumption of fatty foods plays a bigger role than lack of exercise.

Among the different types of fatty food popularly eaten like potato chips, candies and sodas, potato chips were the biggest weight gain causer. One of the reasons for this could be that nobody is able to eat just one chip and stop at that. Once you taste one you don’t stop till you have eaten a whole bag.

Here in India, we may soon see the same pattern among our children too. In the last 2 decades the potato chips business is booming. It now comes in all kinds of shapes and flavours and in colourful packages which the children love. They are even happy to eat it as a meal.

French fries is also as dangerous as the wafers and there are many offers of this to tempt all of us. Please note that 20gms of wafer chips, i.e., about 10 pieces are equal to 110 calories and may contain about 10 drops of oil per chip. 10 pieces of French fries i.e., 50gm is equal to 200 calories.

In America weight problems are an epidemic with 25% of the adult population either overweight or obese. When I was in school 65kgs weight for a 10th standard girl was considered obese as most girls at that age were 45-50kgs in weight. Today many boys and girls are 75-85kgs at 15-to 18 years of age.

I believe that all parents and children must understand the reality of obesity and that it can lead to several disease conditions like diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, etc., which will start at an early age if we don’t prevent obesity.

We can start with saying no to potato chips!!!