The Zone Diet: One Solution to America’s Obesity Epidemic

Obesity is currently one of America’s biggest health issues. More than 25 percent of our citizens are obese and we are paying the cost, to both our health and our pocketbook. In fact, the cost to the nation for obesity-related illnesses could soon reach $147 billion per year and account for 9.1 percent of total medical spending.

Dr. Barry Sears, creator of the Zone Diet, speaks regularly on this topic, including an interview yesterday on national radio. Not mincing words, he said, “Obesity is at the root of a major health-care crisis sweeping America. Unless we get hold of the problem at its core and change America’s prevalent pro-inflammatory diet to an anti-inflammatory diet regimen, people will continue to gain excess weight, and America will face vast financial shortfalls for medical costs connected with obesity and related diseases.”

There are multiple factors at work, something Dr. Sears calls the “perfect nutritional storm,” and solutions are not easy to find. He attributes part of the blame to crop subsidies, in which the U.S. pays almost $20 million annually to farmers of cheap refined carbohydrates such as corn and soybeans, but much of the blame can be laid at the refrigerator door, in our food choices and overconsumption.

The Zone Diet, a somewhat scientific approach to dieting, focuses on controlling the hormone levels in your body that are key to weight control and health. The basic tenet, in bold headlines on the Zone Diet website is that it “… is not a diet. It’s a healthy, balanced lifestyle.”

The Zone Diet is about balancing your hormones within a specific range to control hunger on fewer calories while still getting the proper nutrients your body needs for long-term health. It is a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, moderate fat diet that has approximately 1 gram of fat for every 2 grams of protein and 3 grams of carbohydrates (also known as the Zone 1-2-3 Method™). Exercise, 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week, is also recommended as part of the Zone lifestyle balance.

To learn more about this diet, check out our diet pages and see if this might be a good choice for you.

As with any diet program, do your research first, and above all, consult your doctor about any diet regimen that you are contemplating.