Alas, summer has ended. It is time to get back to school and work, relegating summer vacation memories to scrapbooks and storytelling. It's also time to forget the county fair cotton candy, boardwalk fries and road trip hamburgers. Now that we're all falling back into our daily routines, we need a call to action. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 15% of adults in every state are obese (more than 30% in nine states) and 17% of all children in the United States are obese (defined as having a body mass index, or BMI, higher than 30).

By resorting to "convenience" foods – those that are boxed, bagged or obtained from restaurants – we are systematically killing ourselves. Obesity is shortening our lives and increasing our health care costs. A recent study in the journal Health Affairs stated that childhood obesity creates $14.1 billion in direct health costs annually, while adult obesity-related illness creates $147 billion in direct health costs annually. Yes, billions. These costs are continuing to rise and have risen dramatically over the past three years. We are getting fatter faster, which means we are getting obesity-related illnesses (heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, even asthma) more often. It is time that we as a nation, in our individual communities and homes, put our collective foot down and make a difference in the way we live.

While getting at least 30-60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise daily is important, any health expert will tell you that the single most important factor in obtaining and maintaining healthy weight is nutrition. Here are some simple steps to get you started on the road to better nutrition. By following even some of these suggestions, we can all start to make a difference in our individual, and therefore our nation's, health.

1. Watch your portion sizes and eat a balanced diet that consists of mostly complex carbohydrates, unsaturated fats and lean proteins. Make your largest portion colorful vegetables prepared in low fat ways, such as raw, steamed, grilled or roasted. Only about one half of your plate should be meat and starch, about three to four ounces per serving. Also be aware of the serving sizes of packaged foods.

2. Try to eat smaller meals or snacks at the same times throughout the day. If you train your body into understanding that it will be getting food at the same time, it will use the calories you provide it more efficiently, and you are less likely to overeat if you know you'll be eating again in few hours.

3. Read food labels. Learn the different names for sugars and start to eliminate them from your diet. If you begin to eat foods with as few ingredients as possible, then you will begin to eliminate a lot of the sugars and processed additives that are considered "empty calories" and bad for you.

4. Eat foods that are close to the source. A whole apple is better than apple juice. Staying away from processed and packaged foods will automatically cut down the sugars and "empty calories" you consume.

5. Increase your water intake. A simple place to start is to aim for at least 40 ounces daily.

Here is a quick and well-balanced (and fun!) meal or snack idea. When given the chance to interact in food preparation, children are more likely to try vegetables that they otherwise might not.

Mini Pizzas

4 whole wheat English muffins
1 cup tomato sauce
4 oz. lean ham
4 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Diced veggies – peppers, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms – whatever you like!

Heat the oven to 300°F. Split the English muffins in half. Spread a little spaghetti sauce on each one. Top each half with ½ oz. ham, ½ ounce of cheese and some veggies. Place the mini pizzas on a baking sheet or directly on the oven rack and cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serves four.