It’s funny how trends come and go. One minute you’re enjoying the sweet taste of a classic pan pizza, the next you’re wondering if there’s such a thing as a good-for-you pizza. For many years, dietitians would strongly advise against consuming pizza, since studies have linked it to increased body weight. But today, with the evolution of healthier food options, the mantra has changed. Now, many nutritionists believe that it’s okay to indulge in some pizza from time to time, as long as you know how to make it perfectly. Here’s the thing: maybe, just maybe, the advice our nutritionists give us today is the best we’re ever going to get. If we’re not careful, our obesogenic culture can lead us straight to an unhealthy weight. And it’s up to each and every one of us to stop it.
What is an obesogenic culture?
The concept of an obesogenic culture comes from developmental psychologist Rebecca Jordan. In her research, she has found that when individuals from a first world country are exposed to a high-calorie, low-nutrient food environment, they tend to prefer that food over healthier options. Basically, she believes that what we consume influences the way we think and behave. So if our food choices are impinging on our physical health, we’re essentially setting ourselves up for failure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than half of U.S. adults are now considered to be obese. More than a third of the country is now classified as being obese. The number of obese adults has more than doubled since 1960. In an effort to reverse this trend, the government launched the “Rewrite the Rules” health campaign in 2018, with the aim to have healthier food options available at school cafeterias.
The Evolution Of A Classic
Let’s take a trip back in time to the golden era of pizza. Back in the day, pizza was considered a luxury item, reserved for special occasions. You would buy a pizza franchise when you were rich and successful, or if nobody else would give you your money back after you bought the restaurant. These days, it’s a lot less common to see pizza sold as a luxury item. More and more people are seeing it as a regular part of their diet. It has become so common, in fact, that many people don’t even consider it food anymore.
This evolution has led to a rethinking of how we look at pizza. It used to be that one piece was enough. You would order a large pepperoni pie, and that was it. These days, pizza is often seen as a diet food, with many low-calorie options available. It’s a lot less common to see customers ordering large pepperoni pizzas any more. As a result, pizza restaurants are starting to experiment with smaller portion sizes, and some even offer vegan and vegetarian options.
The Rising Demand For Healthier Foods
In today’s world, people are more concerned about the quality of the food they eat than the quantity. According to the NPD group, a nutrition monitoring service, total food sales grew by 3% in 2018. But that wasn’t all: the market research company anticipates food purchases to further increase by 4% in 2019.
Healthy food options are more accessible than they’ve ever been before. More than 240 million people worldwide are now living with the HIV virus, which leads to malnutrition and weakens the body’s immune system. People with HIV are more likely to get sick from AIDS, which leads to further weight loss. But getting sick is the least of their worries: the main issue is providing them with healthy food, so that their health does not get jeopardized.
Malnutrition is not something new to the pandemic, and it’s been a problem for years. According to the CDC, over 40% of people who live with HIV are now considered to be either overweight or obese. In order to keep the body’s defenses strong, HIV patients are prescribed a healthy diet by doctors and dietitians alike. This, of course, leads to further questions about what kind of food is best for people with HIV, which is why more and more people are shunning meat in favor of healthier alternatives.
Why Is Nutritionists Advising Patients To Eat Pizzas Occasionally?
Many people who are deemed to be “pizza-proof” actually have a nutritionally-empty diet. This is because pizza isn’t actually that good for you. Yes, it has lots of healthy options available nowadays, like mushrooms and tomatoes, but those aren’t the “real” foods inside the pie. What you’re actually getting when you order a pizza is a lot of empty calories that do very little for your body.
The pizza industry itself has been trying to clean up its act. Many pizza chains now offer vegan and vegetarian options, as well as gluten-free crusts. They also try to be as eco-friendly and transparent as possible, ensuring that their packaging is compostable or recyclable. If you look at the nutritional information for many pizza products, you’ll see that they’re very low in calories and carbohydrates, but high in fiber. This means that they fill you up, but don’t contribute to your weight gain.
The Perfect Post-Exercise Treat
Eating what you need after you exercise is essential. But sometimes, that means indulging in a treat. This is why most people in the fitness industry suggest having an ice cream sandwich or a small pizza after working out. These foods provide quick bursts of sugar, which trigger the body’s natural hormone, insulin. Insulin helps to transport nutrients to the cells and rebuilds the muscles destroyed during exercise. It also increases the body’s metabolic rate, helping to speed up the body’s natural process of expiring toxins.
The problem is that too much sugar can cause devastating health problems. It promotes tooth decay and increases the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. So while it’s important to have a cookie or ice cream sandwich after your workout, it’s also important to realize when these foods are harming you rather than helping you to recover.
Pizza And The Evolution Of Dieting
Dieting is a difficult thing for many people to successfully implement. After years of trying to control our weight, many of us have become desensitized to the fad diets and weight loss schemes that the media promotes. The news is constantly bombarding us with bad-news about the dangers of being overweight or obese, so it’s no wonder that many of us are having a hard time believing that a small pizza could be part of a healthy diet.
Instead of focusing on calories, many dietitians these days are encouraging their clients to focus on nutrients. They believe that by micromanaging calories, you are depriving your body of the nutrients it needs. In the same way that overeating can cause nutrient deficiencies, these experts argue that dieting can do the same. So rather than cutting out entire food groups as you may have seen on some restrictive diets in the past, today’s experts are encouraging their clients to eat more veggies, whole grains, and legumes. These foods provide your body with nutrients that are much more valuable than the few calories they contain.
Making The Most Out Of Each Bite
When you eat a small pizza, it doesn’t take long before your arms start aching from all the little bites. It’s hard to enjoy a large pizza when you’re talking with your friends, planning your vacation, or watching TV with your family, because at the end of the day, there’s just too much food. When you eat a small pizza, it goes down quickly and doesn’t leave a lot left over. This saves you both time and money, since you can’t make multiple trips to the refrigerator to get more food. You also reduce the risk of overeating by being aware of how much you are actually taking.
Pizza And The Rise Of The “Health Nut”
The rise of the “health nut” can be attributed to many factors, but the simple fact that people are becoming more health-conscious is contributing. According to biochemist and dietician Isabelle Boni, MD, the key factor is that people are learning to value their health more highly than just their looks. She defines a “health nut” as someone who focuses on the nutritional value of food rather than the taste, and advocates a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and legumes. She explains, “When you eat plant-based foods, you are almost certain to get all the nutrients you need, without risking a nutritional deficiency.”