In the United States over 1 in 3 people are obese.  Obesity increases ones risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and even cancer.  Not only does it pose a significant health risk it is also a major economic burden with estimates of obesity costs exceeding hundreds of billion dollars a year.  In general, obesity can be thought of as a result of a “caloric imbalance”.  This means too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed.  Of course, there are also genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors which contribute to obesity – but the focus of this article is on the contribution of caloric intake.

How snacks contribute to obesity

Most of us eat nearly 600 calories a day, this is roughly a third of our food, as snacks.  Marketing is partly to blame for this growing snack culture.  More and more products are being packaged as convenient snack packs.  This changes the way we approach hunger.  Convenient snack packs, mean that anytime we feel slightly hungry we can indulge in a snack.  Without realizing it, we are packing in the calories and packing on the pounds.

How can you change the way you eat and snack?

To change the way you eat, you need to think about what you are actually eating.  Analyze what food you are putting into your body, and whether those are healthy or unhealthy calories. Practice portion control by using smaller glasses and plates when eating meals. Similarly, you should change the way you snack.

While snacks do amount to a significant portion of our diet, they don’t have to be bad.  The key is to remember that they count as calories when you are looking at your budget for the day so it is important to choose smart snacks.  For instance some look at energy bars as a good mid-day snack, however the majority of them have over 200 calories and are actually equivalent to half a full meal.  If you are going to have a large snack then your next meal should be smaller to counteract the caloric intake.

Furthermore, be mindful about eating. Incorporate snacks into your daily diet in a planned way.  Avoid unexpected food, like chocolates or cake people bring into the office. Over time these small bits can truly sabotage any diet.  A better policy is to not eat anything that you didn’t bring in yourself, it’s the only way to maintain control of your calories and nutritional goals.