1. No Thanks! Dear “Junk Food”

2. Problem Definition 4 Relying on “junk food” most of the time for the daily dietary needs. 4 Just filling up the stomach to satisfy the hunger. 4 Hyperacidity and associated complaints consequently.

3. Problem Definition continued…... 4 Eating a large meal in the night compensating for the junk food in the day. 4 Indigestion and “bloated stomach” feeling at the end of the day. 4 Loss of appetite and disturbed sleep eventually. 4 Ending up spending comparatively more than necessary on food and a whole lot on antacids!

4. What's So Junky About 'Junk' Food? 4 Many snacks, such as potato chips, fast-food cheeseburgers, and fries, have high levels of fat, sugar or salt. 4 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.

5. What's So Junky About 'Junk' Food? 4 Sodium mostly comes from salt added to foods during processing and most junk foods are rich in salt. 4 Eating too much fat, especially saturated fat and cholesterol, increases blood cholesterol levels, and therefore increases the risk of heart disease.

6. What's So Junky About 'Junk' Food? 4 Too much fat leads to overweight and increases the risk of some cancers. 4 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. 4 Junk food is generally way beyond all these recommendations.

7. Problem Flow Chart

8. Problem Flow Chart continued…

9. Changes to the Environment / System 4 Carry a lunch pack from home for the lunch at work. 4 Carry no loose change in the wallet. 4 Practice carpooling and use HOV to reach work place in time. 4 Always go to lunch along with a buddy who eats regularly at the cafeteria.

10. Changes to the Environment / System 4 Reach the cafeteria in time by tagging along with the designated buddy. 4 Return home early by practicing the same carpooling and using HOV. 4 Eat early. 4 Remove Television from the bedroom.

11. Changes to the Environment / System 4 Never buy or keep any kind of snack food in the house. 4 To facilitate that always do shopping with another designated buddy (wife in my case) to check the dietary habits at home. 4 Always fill the refrigerator with healthy food supply so as not to affect the cooking at home.

12. Personal Changes 4 Wakeup early in the morning. 4 Always eat breakfast before leaving for work. 4 Set an alarm in the watch to remind lunchtime. 4 Keep a sticker on the wallet reminding not to buy junk food. 4 Set alarm to wake early the next day.

13. Changes adopted 4 All of the changes especially the environmental / system changes were chosen (the basic methodology of CQI). 4 Executed over a period of 58 days starting from September 23rd to November 13th, 2000. 4 The data thus obtained was analyzed using the “Time in between chart”.

14. The Data

15. Data continued …….

16. Frequency Chart

17. The Chart Of Success.

18. Analysis 4 The two failures that are above the “Upper Control Limit” suggest the return to poor habits. 4 They are significant as they are way above the expected upper limit. 4 The rest of the failures below the Upper Control Limit in the chart suggest relapses.

19. Analysis 4 Though initially there was not much of a success or break in the habit, in course of time the habit changed. 4 This project of personal improvement is a success both physically and statistically.

20. Future Course Of Action 4 Eat a variety of foods. 4 Balance the daily food with physical activity to maintain a healthy weight. 4 Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits. 4 Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. 4 Choose a diet moderate in sugars. 4 Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.