Getting overweight adults to adopt new heart-healthy eating habits is an uphill battle. But giving them a handout about nutrition may be better than nothing, new research suggests.
“There’s an urgent need for innovative approaches to support the implementation of current dietary advice,” said Dr. David Jenkins, lead author of the new study from the University of Toronto. To prevent chronic disease, U.S. nutrition guidelines recommend diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, plus foods that lower cholesterol such as oats, barley, nuts and soy.
Jenkins, who is chair of nutrition and metabolism at the university, and his team tried three ways of encouraging these healthy habits. The researchers randomly assigned more than 900 overweight adults to one of four groups.
Maintaining a healthy weight and following a balanced nutrition as well as engaging in regular physical activity can often be challenging habits to stay true to. Fortunately, new studies have demonstrated easier ways to help encourage healthy habits to prevent obesity. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.