Food and Health

  Sometimes people are confused（困惑的）about what type of food is healthy, and what kind of food may hurt our health. The United States Department of Agriculture (美国农业部) has prepared a small book to help people learn about which types of food are the healthiest to eat. The book describes six basic food groups: meat (肉类) (beef, fish, chicken, etc.), dairy (奶制品) (things made from milk), grains (谷类) (bread, rice, etc.), fruits, and vegetables. The last group is fat (脂肪), oil, and sweets (糖果). The Department of Agriculture also suggests how much of each food group is healthy to eat daily. These suggestions provided by the U.S. government are very useful for people all over the world.
    As a result of years of research, we know that too much fat is bad for our health. For example, Americans eat a lot of meat, and only a small amount of grains, fruits, and vegetables. Because of this, they often get cancer and heart disease. In Japan, on the other hand, people eat large amounts of grains and very little meat. They also have a very low rate (比率) of cancer and heart disease. In fact, the Japanese live longer than people in any other country. Unfortunately, when Japanese people move to the United States, the rate of heart disease and cancer increases as their diet changes. What's more, as hamburgers (汉堡包) and other high-fat foods become common in Japan, the rate of heart disease and cancer is increasing there as well. People are also eating more meat and dairy products in other countries such as Cuba (古巴) and Hungary (匈牙利). It's no surprise that the disease rate in these countries is increasing along with the change in diet. Therefore, doctors everywhere advise people to eat more grains, fruits, and vegetables, and eat less meat and dairy products.
    A healthy diet is important for children as well. When parents have poor eating habits, their children usually do, too. After all, children eat the same way as their parents do. When parents eat healthy food, the children will also learn to enjoy it, and will develop good eating habits. Doctors advise parents to give their children healthier treats such as fruits and vegetables.
    Everyone wants to live a long and healthy life. We know that the food we eat affects us in different ways. For instance, doctors believe that fruits and vegetables can actually prevent many different diseases. On the other hand, fat may cause some diseases. To enjoy many years of healthy living, we should improve our diet now.
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