No Thanks! Dear “Junk Food”

Problem Definition

Relying on “junk food” most of the time for the daily dietary needs.

Just filling up the stomach to satisfy the hunger.

Hyperacidity and associated complaints consequently.

Problem Definition continued…... Eating a large meal in the night compensating for

the junk food in the day.

Indigestion and “bloated stomach” feeling at the end of the day.

Loss of appetite and disturbed sleep eventually.

Ending up spending comparatively more than necessary on food and a whole lot on antacids!

What's So Junky About 'Junk' Food?

Many snacks, such as potato chips, fast-food cheeseburgers, and fries, have high levels of fat, sugar or salt.

Most of these are made using saturated fat, which comes from animal products, hydrogenated vegetable oils and tropical oils -- coconut and palm -- providing smaller amounts. Only animal fat provides cholesterol.

What's So Junky About 'Junk' Food?

Sodium mostly comes from salt added to foods during processing and most junk foods are rich in salt.

Eating too much fat, especially saturated fat and cholesterol, increases blood cholesterol levels, and therefore increases the risk of heart disease.

What's So Junky About 'Junk' Food?

Too much fat leads to overweight and increases the risk of some cancers.

Dietitians recommend that no more than 30 percent of your calories come from fats, and not more than 10 percent of these calories should be from saturated fat.

Junk food is generally way beyond all these recommendations.

Problem Flow Chart

P ic k in g u p a s n a c k a t th e v e n d in g m a c h in e s

R e a c h in g c a fe te r ia a f te r lu n c h t im e

I g n o r in g lu n c h t im e

c o n t in u e d ... . . . .n e x t s lid e

H u n g r y s o o n a g a in d u e to in s u ff ic ie n t m e a ls

S u b s t itu t in g w ith a s o d a o r a c o f fe e

A v o id in g L u n c h

I m m e r s e d in w o r k

L a te to w o r k

P ic k in g u p ju n k fo o d o n th e w a y to w o r k

U s e o f A n ta c id s

H y p e r a c id ity a n d u p s e t s to m a c h

M is s in g b r e a k fa s t

W a k in g u p la te

Problem Flow Chart continued…

A n o th e r s n a c k a t th e v e n d in g m a c h in e

A q u ic k s n a c k o n th e w a y h o m e

W a k in g u p la te in th e m o r n in g

C o n s e q u e n t ly fa llin g a s le e p la te in th e n ig h t

W a tc h T V to p a s s t im e

T o a lle v ia te th e d is c o m fo r t , s it u p in b e d

U p s e t s to m a c h

E a t in g a la r g e m e a l a t d in n e r a lm o s t a lw a y s

S k ip p in g s n a c k s s o m e t im e s

H u n g r y s o o n a g a in d u e to in s u ff ic ie n t m e a ls

Changes to the Environment / System

Carry a lunch pack from home for the lunch at work.

Carry no loose change in the wallet. Practice carpooling and use HOV to

reach work place in time. Always go to lunch along with a buddy

who eats regularly at the cafeteria.

Changes to the Environment / System

Reach the cafeteria in time by tagging along with the designated buddy.

Return home early by practicing the same carpooling and using HOV.

Eat early. Remove Television from the bedroom.

Changes to the Environment / System

Never buy or keep any kind of snack food in the house.

To facilitate that always do shopping with another designated buddy (wife in my case) to check the dietary habits at home.

Always fill the refrigerator with healthy food supply so as not to affect the cooking at home.

Personal Changes

Wakeup early in the morning. Always eat breakfast before leaving for

work. Set an alarm in the watch to remind

lunchtime. Keep a sticker on the wallet reminding

not to buy junk food. Set alarm to wake early the next day.

Changes adopted

All of the changes especially the environmental / system changes were chosen (the basic methodology of CQI).

Executed over a period of 58 days starting from September 23rd to November 13th, 2000.

The data thus obtained was analyzed using the “Time in between chart”.

The Data

DAY SUCCESS NUMBER OFSUCCESSES

DAYS INBETWEEN

SUCCESSES

UPPERCONTROL

LIMIT

DAY SUCCESS NUMBER OFSUCCESSES

DAYS INBETWEEN

SUCCESSES

UPPERCONTROL

LIMIT

2 yes 2 0 2.19 39 yes 21 0 2.195 yes 3 2 2.19 40 yes 22 0 2.197 yes 4 1 2.19 41 yes 23 0 2.199 yes 5 1 2.19 42 yes 24 0 2.19

15 yes 6 5 2.19 43 yes 25 0 2.1916 yes 7 0 2.19 44 yes 26 0 2.1918 yes 8 1 2.19 45 yes 27 0 2.1919 yes 9 0 2.19 46 yes 28 0 2.1920 yes 10 0 2.19 47 yes 29 0 2.1925 yes 11 4 2.19 48 yes 30 0 2.1926 yes 12 0 2.19 49 yes 31 0 2.1928 yes 13 1 2.19 50 yes 32 0 2.1929 yes 14 0 2.19 51 yes 33 0 2.1930 yes 15 0 2.19 53 yes 34 1 2.1933 yes 16 2 2.19 54 yes 35 0 2.1934 yes 17 0 2.19 55 yes 36 0 2.1935 yes 18 0 2.19 56 yes 37 0 2.1936 yes 19 0 2.19 57 yes 38 0 2.19

38 yes 20 1 2.19 58 yes 39 0 2.19

Data continued…….

0 281 62 23 04 15 1

DAYS IN BETWEEN

FREQUENCY19

2.19UPPER

CONTROL LIMIT

AVERAGE DAYS IN BETWEEN

PER SUCCESS

TOTAL NUMBEROF DAYS

BETWEEN SUCCESS

0.49

Frequency Chart

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

DAYS IN BETWEEN SUCCESSES

FR

EQ

UE

NC

Y

FREQUENCY

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0 10 20 30 40

DAYS OF SUCCESS

DA

YS

IN

BE

TW

EE

N S

UC

CE

SS

ES

DAYS INBETWEENSUCCESSES

UPPERCONTROLLIMIT

The Chart Of Success.

Analysis

The two failures that are above the “Upper Control Limit” suggest the return to poor habits.

They are significant as they are way above the expected upper limit.

The rest of the failures below the Upper Control Limit in the chart suggest relapses.

Analysis

Though initially there was not much of a success or break in the habit, in course of time the habit changed.

This project of personal improvement is a success both physically and statistically.

Future Course Of Action

Eat a variety of foods. Balance the daily food with physical activity to

maintain a healthy weight. Choose a diet with plenty of grain products,

vegetables and fruits. Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Choose a diet moderate in sugars. Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.