As adults, we accept that there’s no tooth fairy, Santa Claus or pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. However, millions of grownups still believe in the allure of get-skinny-quick plans. Here’s a reality check–we’re fat. According to “F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009,” a report released last month by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and the numbers didn’t decrease in a single state this past year. Mississippi takes the cake for adult obesity for the fifth year in a row at 32.5 percent and Alabama, West Virginia and Tennessee rounded out the top four. I’m not proposing a grand diet regimen to get America back on track. However, there are baby steps you can take to lose weight without even thinking about it. For one: lay off the soda. 
Studies prove that a single pop a day could put on 15 pounds over a year. There are exceptions, of course, like if you’re eating pizza, movie popcorn or Chinese food because they truly are the perfect match for the syrupy beverage. In all other cases, make the simple adjustment and switch to water. If old-fashioned H20 doesn’t titillate your taste buds, fake them out with flavored waters like coconut water or my latest go-to, Fruit2o Essentials. It’s a calorie-free drink that contains the vitamins and minerals found in two servings of fruit plus 1 gram of fiber. This combination makes sense considering that recent USDA studies found that 80 percent of Americans don’t drink the recommended eight glasses of water a day and 77 percent don’t eat the recommended servings of fruit a day. Most important, it’s tasty. A package landed on my desk on Friday, and my fiancé and I went through all six flavors in one weekend. My favorite was Peach Mango and his was Citrus. *BG GIVEAWAY Here’s a little push to help wean you off soda: I’m giving away a month’s supply of Fruit2o Essentials! All you have to do is comment (click on “Read User’s Comments”) about how or why you’ll make the effort to switch to this healthier alternative. You may be one of the 2 BG readers who end up with an all-you-can-drink pass for an entire month. Gulp, gulp, gulp…
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