1 . When it comes to nutrition, people in the United States often make poor choices. Sometimes bad eating habits are not the consequence of a lack of nutritional information or the unavailability of nutritious foods; some people simply choose to eat _______. They prefer to eat only the foods that taste delicious to them. Unfortunately, the decision to eat poorly has lasting _______. As many as half of all Americans are overweight. _______, many Americans suffer from conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and adult-onset diabetes(糖尿病) that can also result from these poor lifestyle choices. If we want to live long, healthy lives, we must make better nutritional decisions. Otherwise, we could be _______ our health and our futures.

Proper nutrition begins with _______. The United States Department of Agriculture(USDA) issues food guidelines to help people to make appropriate nutritional choices. These guidelines are _______ in a USDA chart called the Food Guide Pyramid. The Pyramid is based on research into the specific types of nutrients needed for disease resistance and proper body weight.

According to the Pyramid, Americans should get most of their daily calories intake from bread, cereal, rice, and pasta, eating 6 to 11 servings of these foods per day. Whole-grain products are the best. The larger numbers of servings are only _______ people such as athletes, whose work includes a great deal of physical activity. Following this category are the fruit and vegetable categories, with a total suggested _______ of from 5 to 9 servings per day. This _______ the importance of fiber, vitamins, and minerals in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The Pyramid’s other ________ include 2 to 3 servings of dairy products and 2 to 3 servings from a group that includes meat, fish, beans, and nuts. The USDA recommends that fats and sweets be eaten sparingly(一点点地).

There are many risk factors that ________ poor health. Among these are such lifestyle choices as improper nutrition and ________ exercise. Current research by the American Heart Association shows that heart disease very often begins when a person is a child. ________ this, many Americans think they can postpone healthy eating and proper exercise until they have health problems. Unfortunately, diseases are not generally ________ until symptoms begin, and by then it may be too late. To live long and productive lives, we must make proper choices now, including healthy ________ choices.