By Candace Kelley
Correspondent
Now that the Thanksgiving feast is over, many people are taking inventory of what they ate.
“I was full but I just went back for more because it was there,” said South Orange resident Sonya Tynes.
“A delicious pumpkin pie and a pecan pie and some fresh whipped cream,” said Shawn Marren of South Orange.
According to the Calorie Control Council, most people ate more more than 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day alone. And for many people, this time of year marks the beginning of heavy eating season where food is everywhere.
Not good for New Jerseyans. According to a 2013 report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, New Jersey’s adult obesity rate is 26.3 percent. The report also found that more than one in 10 children becomes obese as early as ages 2 to 5.
According the president of Colosseum Gym in Newark, the more you eat in one sitting, the more you change your body and are likely to put on the pounds.
“Any time you take a huge intake of food, your stomach expands. We all know that. And if you continue doing that for a couple days, yes you can gain weight,” said Arthur Sopel.
One of the easier ways of losing weight is going to get a little simpler. The federal government is going to help you count calories.
As a part of 2010 Affordable Care Act, within a year every state must follow the same set of calorie counting rules and list calories next to items listed on the menus. Chains with 20 or more restaurants, supermarkets that sell restaurant-type foods and take-out and home delivery chains will all have to list calorie counts.
And that calorie count for that tub of popcorn you love will be coming to a theater near you.
“I’m going on a diet after this. New Year’s resolution,” said Zulath Wallace.
After the holiday season, Colosseum Gym always sees a spike in new members in the New Year. But the president says that losing that weight you put on during the holidays is 80 percent of what you eat and that other 20 percent is exercising.
“Cardio is actually the most important thing and don’t omit that,” Sopel said.
And during this holiday season, keeping off the pounds may keep looking trim, but keeping off the weight can save your life. Obesity has been linked to everything from high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes to sleep apnea and gallstones. So if you are counting calories and are like most who eat 4,500 during holiday meals, it may be time to wake yourself up out of that food coma.