- We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as number one source of saturated fat in our diets.

- We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did back in 1970's.

- We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk, compared to 1970's, when milk consumption was twice that of pop.

- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has increased 32 percent.

- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off charts. People are consuming roughly twice amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies. In 1978, government found that sugars constituted only 11 percent of average person's calories. Now, this number has ballooned to 16 percent for average American adult and as much as 20 percent for American teenagers!

Unfortunately, it would seem that days of wholesome and nutritious family dinners are being replaced by fast food and eating on-the-run. We have gradually come to accept that it's "OK" to sacrifice healthy foods for sake of convenience and that larger serving portions equate to better value.

It's time recognize that we are consuming too many calories and time to start doing something about it! Each of us can decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits WILL become a normal part of our life!

We can begin by exploring our values, thoughts and habits... slowly and deliberately weed-out unhealthy habits and activities and start living a more productive and rewarding life. And remember, it has taken a long time to develop bad habits, so be patient as you work toward your goal! The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.

Have you ever read instructions for testing and assessing blood sugar levels? Have you ever tried to fill out a Medicare form? Do you struggle with letters from your health insurance provider?

Only 45% of asthmatics with literacy problems knew that they should stay away from things they are allergic to even if they WERE taking asthma medication. 89% of people reading at high school level were clear about same information. It's not a matter of intelligence. It's a matter of a missing skill which well-educated health providers presume is present in their readers when they sit down to write.

There are two parts to problem: writer and reader. Recently, public health community has begun efforts to raise awareness. They are alerting medical providers to impact of health literacy issues. Some fledgling efforts are underway to provide clearer, simpler materials for public. People are finding alternatives to reading for presenting same information.

There is a long way to go. Sign up now with your local literacy program as a volunteer.

Drop in on your elderly neighbor and help her learn to read specialized health material so critical in her life. (You may want to ask her about her life first, to save embarrassment when you learn you're talking to a retired English teacher). Start with all those ridiculously obscure materials her doctor sent home with her about glaucoma. You can go on to that Medicare form she needs to send in tomorrow.

Do you want to know what eighth grade reading level is? You just read 700 words of it. 74 million Americans reading at below fourth grade level could have found it too hard for them to understand.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.