Better Health and You Better Health and You

WIN Weight-control Information Network

TIPS FOR ADULTS

Healthy Eating & Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan
Cover photo of fitness expert Donna Richardson leading a walk for 

WINʼs Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better program.
Index

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Healthy Eating

What is a healthy diet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Tips for healthy eating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Quick breakfast ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Easy snack ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

What is a healthy weight? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

What are the health risks of being overweight? . . . . 9

What makes people overweight? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

If you need to lose weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Physical Activity

Getting active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Are you ready to be even more active? . . . . . . . . . 15

Be good to yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Additional reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Better Health and You

Better Health and You 1

Introduction

A balanced diet and regular physical

activity are the building blocks of good

health. Poor eating habits and too little

physical activity can lead to overweight

and related health problems. By eating

right and being active, you can stay at

or reach a healthy weight. Do it for

yourself and your family!
Healthy Eating

2 Better Health and You

What is a healthy diet?

The basis of a healthy diet is eating a wide variety of

foods. Every day, you should try to eat:*

● 6 to 11 servings of bread, cereal, rice, or pasta.

One serving equals one slice of bread, about 1

cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or 1⁄2 cup cooked

cereal, rice, or pasta.

● 3 to 5 servings of vegetables. One serving equals

1 cup of raw leafy vegetables, or 1⁄2 cup of other

vegetables, cooked or raw.

● 2 to 4 servings of fruit. One serving equals one

medium apple, banana, or orange; 1⁄2 cup of

chopped, cooked, or canned fruit; or 3⁄4 cup of fruit

juice.

● 2 to 3 servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese. One

serving equals 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 11⁄2 ounces

of natural cheese (such as Cheddar), or 2 ounces

of processed cheese (such as American). Choose

low-fat or fat-free products most often.

● 2 to 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans,

eggs, or nuts. One serving equals 2 to 3 ounces

of cooked lean meat, poultry without skin, or fish.

* Servings and serving sizes are from the U.S. Department

of Agriculture/Department of Health and Human Services

Food Guide Pyramid.
Healthy Eating

Better Health and You 3

You should eat no more than 5 to 7 ounces per

day. One half cup of cooked dry beans, one egg,

or 1⁄2 cup of tofu counts as 1 ounce of meat. Two

tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts

counts as 1 ounce of lean meat.

The larger number of servings is for active men. Eat

a smaller number of servings if you are a woman,

inactive, or trying to lose weight.
4

Healthy Eating

Better Health and You

You cannot always measure your food. Here are some

ways to help you estimate serving sizes.

=

1⁄2 cup

rice or

pasta

1 cup

salad

greens

1⁄2 cup

chopped fruit

or vegetables

11⁄2

ounces

of cheese

3 ounces

of meat

or fish

2 tablespoons

peanut

butter

size of ice cream

scoop

= size of a baseball

=

=

=

=

size of four dice

size of a lightbulb

size of a deck of cards

or cassette tape

size of a

ping pong ball
5

Healthy Eating

Better Health and You

Tips for healthy eating

● Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast

are less likely to overeat later in the day. Breakfast

also gives you energy and helps you think

and learn.

● Choose whole grains more often. Try whole wheat

breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, or bulgur.

● Select a mix of colorful vegetables each

day. Different colored vegetables provide

different nutrients. Choose dark, leafy

greens such as kale, collards, and

mustard greens, and reds and oranges

such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red

peppers, and tomatoes.

● Choose fresh or canned fruit more often

than fruit juice. Fruit juice has little or

no fiber.

● Use fats and oils sparingly. Olive, canola,

and peanut oils, avocados, nuts and nut

butters, olives, and fish provide hearthealthy fat as well as vitamins and

minerals.

● Eat sweets sparingly. Limit foods and

beverages that are high in added sugars.
6

Healthy Eating

Better Health and You

● Eat three meals every day instead of skipping

meals or eating a snack instead of a meal.

● Have low-fat, low-sugar snacks on hand at home,

at work, or on the go, to combat hunger and

prevent overeating.

Quick breakfast ideas

● low-fat yogurt sprinkled with low-fat

granola

● oatmeal with low-fat or fat-free milk, or

soy-based beverage

● whole wheat toast with a thin spread of

peanut butter

● fruit smoothie made with frozen fruit,

low-fat yogurt, and juice

● low-sugar cereal

with soy-based

beverage
7

Healthy Eating

Better Health and You

Easy snack ideas

● low-fat or fat-free yogurt

● rice cakes

● fresh or canned fruits

● sliced vegetables or baby carrots

● dried fruit and nut mix

(no more than a small handful)

● air-popped popcorn sprinkled with garlic

powder or other spices

● low-sugar cereal
8

Healthy Eating

Better Health and You

What is a healthy weight?

Body mass index (BMI) is one way to tell whether

you are at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. It

measures your weight in relation to your height. A BMI

of 18.5 to 24.9 is in the healthy range. In the chart

below, find your height in the left-hand column and

move across the row to find your weight. If you are in

the overweight or obese range on the chart, you are

more likely to have certain health problems.

*Without shoes **Without clothes
9

Healthy Eating

Better Health and You

Another way to find out if you are at risk for health

problems caused by overweight and obesity is to

measure your waist. If you are a woman and your

waist is more than 35 inches, or if you are a man and

your waist is more than 40 inches, your risk of disease

is higher.

What are the health risks of being

overweight?

Extra weight can put you at higher

risk for:

● type 2 diabetes (high blood sugar)

● high blood pressure

● heart disease and stroke

● some types of cancer

● sleep apnea (when breathing

stops for short periods during sleep)

● osteoarthritis (wearing away of the joints)

● gallbladder disease

● irregular periods

● problems with pregnancy such as high blood

pressure or increased risk for cesarean section

(c-section)
10

Healthy Eating

Better Health and You

What makes people overweight?

People gain weight when the number of calories they

eat is more than the number of calories their bodies

use. Many factors can play a part in weight gain.

● Habits. Eating too many calories can become a

habit. So can choosing activities like watching TV

instead of being physically active. Over time, these

habits can lead to weight gain.

● Genes. Overweight and obesity tend to run in

families. Although families often share diet and

physical activity habits that can play a role in

obesity, their shared genes increase the chance

that family members will be overweight.

● Illness. Some diseases can lead to weight gain or

obesity. These include hypothyroidism, Cushing’s

syndrome, and depression. Talk to your health

care provider if you think you have a health

problem that could be causing you to gain weight.

● Medicine. Some medicines can lead to weight

gain. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist

about the side effects of any medication you are

taking.

● The world around you. You can find food and

messages about food at home, at work, at

shopping centers, on TV, and at family and social
Healthy Eating

Better Health and You 11

events. People may eat too much just because

food is always there. On top of that, our modern

world—with remote controlled televisions, drive-in

banks, and escalators—makes it easy to be

physically inactive.

● Emotions. Many people eat when they are bored,

sad, angry, or stressed, even when they are not

hungry.

Although you may not be able to control all the factors

that lead to overweight, you can change your eating

and physical activity habits.
12

Healthy Eating

Better Health and You

If you need to lose weight

Losing as little as 5 to 15 percent of your body weight

over 6 months or longer can do much to improve your

health. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing 5

percent of your body weight means losing 10 pounds.

Losing 15 percent of your body weight means losing

30 pounds. A safe rate of weight loss is 1⁄2 to 2 pounds

per week.

Try some of these ideas to support your weight loss

efforts:

● Keep a food diary.

● Shop from a list and shop when you are not

hungry.

● Store foods out of sight.

● Dish up smaller servings. At restaurants, eat

only half your meal and take the rest home. See

WIN’s brochure Just Enough for You, About Food

Portions for more tips on controlling portion size.

● Eat at the table with the TV off.

● Be realistic about weight loss goals. Aim for a

slow, modest weight loss.

● Seek support from family and friends.

● Expect setbacks and forgive yourself.
Healthy Eating

Better Health and You 13

● Add physical activity to your weight-loss plan.

Doing regular physical activity can help you

control your weight.

Date

 F OOD D IARY 

Time Food Feelings

Write down all the food that you eat in a day. Also write down the

time you eat and your feelings at the time.
Physical Activity

14 Better Health and You

Getting active

You do not have to be an athlete to benefit from

regular physical activity. Even modest amounts of

physical activity can improve your health. Start with

small, specific goals such as walking 10 minutes a

day, 3 days a week and slowly build up from there.

Keep an activity log to track your progress.

Try these activities to add more movement to your

daily life:

● Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Make sure

the stairs are well lit.

● Get off the bus one stop early if you are in an area

safe for walking.

● Park the car farther away from entrances to

stores, movie theatres, or your home.

● Take a short walk around the block with family,

friends, or coworkers.

● In bad weather, walk around a mall.

● Rake the leaves or wash the car.

● Visit museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and

your family can walk for hours and not realize it.

● Take a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.
Physical Activity

Better Health and You 15

ACTIVITY LOG ○○○○○○○○○○○ ○○○○○○○○○○○

Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun

10 15 15 20 20 30 30

30 OFF 30 30 OFF 30 30

30 30 OFF 30 30 30 OFF

Example

Week 1

Example

Week 2

Example

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Are you ready to be even more active?

As you become more fit, slowly increase your pace,

the length of time you are active, and how often you

are active. Before starting a vigorous physical activity

program, check with your health care provider if you

Write in the number of minutes you are active each day
Physical Activity

16 Better Health and You

are a man and over age 40 or a woman and over age

50, or have chronic health problems.

For a well-rounded workout plan, combine aerobic

activity, muscle-strengthening exercises, and

stretching. Do at least 30 minutes a day of moderateintensity physical activity on most or all days of the

week. Add muscle-strengthening activities to your

aerobic workout two to three times a week.

To reduce the risk of injury, do a slow aerobic warmup, then stretch before aerobic or strengthening

activities. Follow your workout with a few more minutes of stretching. See WIN’s brochure Walking—A

Step in the Right Direction for stretching exercises.

Aerobic activity is any activity that speeds up your

heart and breathing while moving your body at a

regular pace. (See next page for examples.) If you

have been inactive for a while, you may want to start

with easier activities such as walking at a gentle pace.

This lets you build up to more intense activity without

hurting your body.

Regular aerobic activity can help to:

● Control weight. Aerobic activity burns calories,

which may help you manage your weight.

● Prevent heart disease and stroke. Regular aerobic

activity can strengthen your heart muscle and
Physical Activity

Better Health and You 17

lower your blood pressure. It may also help lower

cholesterol, a type of fat in your blood.

● Maintain strong bones. Weight-bearing aerobic

activities that involve lifting or pushing your own

body weight, such as walking, jogging, or dancing,

help to maintain strong bones.

● Improve your outlook. Aerobic exercise relieves

tension and decreases stress. As you get fit, it

can help to build confidence and improve your

self-image.

Choose aerobic activities that are fun.

People are more likely to be active if

they like what they are doing. It also

helps to get support from a friend or

a family member. Try one of these

activities or others you enjoy:

● brisk walking or jogging

● bicycling

● swimming

● aerobic exercise classes

● dancing (square dancing,

salsa, African dance, swing)

● playing basketball or soccer
Physical Activity

18 Better Health and You

Strengthening activities include lifting weights, using

resistance bands, and doing push-ups or sit-ups.

Besides building stronger muscles, strengthening

activities may help you to:

● Use more calories. Not only do strengthening

exercises burn calories, but having more muscle

means you will burn more calories—even when

you are sitting still.

● Reduce injury. Stronger muscles improve balance

and support your joints, lowering the risk of injury.

● Maintain strong bones. Doing strengthening

exercises regularly helps build bone and may

prevent bone loss as you age.

Strengthening exercises should

focus on working the major muscle

groups of the body, such as the

chest, back, and legs. Do exercises

for each muscle group two or three

times a week. Allow at least 1 day

of rest for your muscles to recover

and rebuild before another strengthening workout. (It is safe to do

aerobic activity every day.)
Physical Activity

Better Health and You 19

Be good to yourself

Many people feel stress in their daily lives. Stress can

cause you to overeat, feel tired, and not want to do

anything. Regular physical activity can give you more

energy. Try some of these other ideas to help relieve

stress and stay on track with your fitness and nutrition

goals:

● Get plenty of sleep.

● Practice deep breathing and relaxing your

muscles one at a time.

● Take a break and go for a walk.

● Take short stretch breaks throughout the day.

● Try taking a yoga or tai chi class to energize

yourself and reduce stress.

● Try a new hobby, like a pottery class or any

activity that sparks your interest.

● Surround yourself with people whose company

you enjoy.

A balanced eating plan, regular physical activity, and

stress relief can help you stay healthy for life.
Additional reading

Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services, 2000.

Phone: 1-888-878-3256.

www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines.

Exercise and Weight Control.

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness

and Sports.

www.fitness.gov

Healthy Weight, Healthy Living.

Shape Up America!

www.shapeup.org

Walking...A Step in the Right Direction.

Weight-control Information Network (WIN), 2001.

Phone: 1-877-946-4627.

www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/walking/walkingbro/

walking.htm

www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/

spanish_walking/index.htm

20 Better Health and You
Better Health and You 21

Resources

American Dietetic Association

120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000

Chicago, IL 60606-6995

Phone: 1-800-877-1600

www.eatright.org

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Phone: 1-800-575-9355

www.nhlbi.nih.gov

National Diabetes Education Program

Phone: 1-800-438-5383

www.ndep.nih.gov

President’s Council on Physical Fitness

and Sports

Department W

200 Independence Ave., SW

Room 738-H

Washington, D.C. 20201-0004

Phone: (202) 690-9000

www.fitness.gov

Shape Up America!

www.shapeup.org
22 Better Health and You

Food and Nutrition Information Center,

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Research Service

National Agricultural Library, Room 105

10301 Baltimore Avenue

Beltsville, MD 20705-2351

Phone: (301) 504-5719

www.nal.usda.gov/fnic
Better Health and You 23

Weight-control Information Network

1 WIN WAY

Bethesda, MD 20892-3665

Phone: (202) 828-1025

FAX: (202) 828-1028

Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627

Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm

The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a

service of the National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National

Institutes of Health, which is the Federal
Government’s lead agency responsible for biomedical

research on nutrition and obesity. Authorized by

Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN provides the

general public, health professionals, the media, and

Congress with up-to-date, science-based health

information on weight control, obesity, physical

activity, and related nutritional issues.

WIN answers inquiries, develops and distributes

publications, and works closely with professional and

patient organizations and Government agencies to

coordinate resources about weight control and related

issues.

Publications produced by WIN are carefully reviewed

by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts. This

publication was also reviewed by Roland Weinsier,

M.D., Dr.P.H., Professor and Director, Clinical Nutrition

Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Rena Wing, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and

Human Behavior, Brown University; and F. Xavier

Pi-Sunyer, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Obesity Research

Center, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center.

This publication is not copyrighted. WIN encourages

users of this brochure to duplicate and distribute as

many copies as desired.

This publication is also available at

www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm.

24 Better Health and You


To request additional brochures, contact the 

Weight-control Information Network at:

1 WIN WAY

Bethesda, MD 20892-3665

Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627

FAX: (202) 828-1028

Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: 

www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm
WIN Weight-control Information Network

Healthy Eating &

Physical Activity 

Across Your Lifespan

Better Health and You

❑ Eat breakfast every day. People who 

eat breakfast are less likely to overeat 

later in the day. 

❑ Choose whole grains more often. Try whole wheat breads 

and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, or bulgur. 

❑ Select a mix of colorful vegetables each day. Different 

colored vegetables provide different nutrients. 

❑ Eat three meals every day instead of skipping meals or 

eating a snack instead of a meal.

❑ Have low-fat, low-sugar snacks on hand at home, at work, 

or on the go, to combat hunger and prevent overeating. 

❑ At restaurants, eat only half your meal and take the 

rest home.

❑ Visit museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and your 

family can walk for hours and not realize it. 

❑ Take a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.

❑ Get plenty of sleep. 
National Institute of Diabetes and 

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

NIH Publication No. 04-4992 

Updated June 2004

U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services

National Institutes of Health RAPED

MT ENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES • USA