BFS's position statement on diet and supplements
Since when did it get so difficult to figure out what to have for lunch? Every time I go to a bookstore I see rows and rows of publications promoting the latest diet. There are low-carb diets, high-protein diets and even highfat diets. There are diets associated with universities and medical centers, and diets endorsed by celebrities. Despite all this attention to proper nutrition, Americans eat more poorly than ever. Just how bad is the typical American diet? Since 1979 the US government has sponsored a major research project to identify preventable health threats and to establish national goals to reduce these threats.
The project is now called Healthy People 2010 and involves 350 national organizations and 270 state agencies. According to this governmentsponsored research, only three percent of Americans eat at least three servings of vegetables daily, only 28 percent consume two servings of fruit, and 64 percent consume more than 10 percent of their calories from saturated fat. That’s pathetic! Worst of all are the consequences that poor nutrition has had on the American people, especially on our young people. Currently 11 percent of children and adolescents are obese.
Because obesity is linked to poor overall health and 17 chronic diseases, most children born this year will have shorter lifespans than their parents and one out of three will develop diabetes. Further, 40 percent of children ages five to eight years old show at least one sign of heart disease. Exercise, which is vital to good health, has been the focus of BFS since our company started 29 years ago. Thousands of high schools have used our workout programs and hundreds of schools have won state championships in numerous sports after implementing the BFS program. We have always emphasized good nutrition for our athletes, but now we believe it’s time to go further.
We are committed to including regular features on nutrition in BFS magazine and on our website. Although we see value in supplements, BFS believes that no supplement will compensate for a poor diet. Food comes first, and we will offer articles from experts in the field of nutrition on how to eat properly. Although there are many excellent diet programs available, such as the Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, we will not endorse any single program. Rather, we will present the best nutrition programs available and have you choose the program, or combination of programs, that is best for you. Now let’s talk about supplements. Go to a newsstand and pick up any muscle magazine.
Between photos of heavily muscled men and artificially “enhanced” women in provocative poses, you’ll find countless ads for supplements. Following even the basic ideas the writers and advertisers promote, it’s easy to figure out that the average trainee would need to spend several hundred dollars a month on supplements. This just has to stop. The BFS position on nutrition is that people need to first eat well and then consider a multivitamin/mineral supplement. We recommend such a supplement because, according to a study published in the June 19, 2002, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, it is difficult to obtain all the essential nutrients from diet alone.
Of course, for any medical condition that requires a specific nutrition therapy, BFS recommends consulting a health care practitioner trained in this field. BFS has partnered with Pharmanex, a worldclass pharmaceutical-grade nutrition company. Pharmanex’s LifePak® has been proven in double blind clinical studies and is the only nutritional supplement of its kind used and endorsed by the US Olympic Team. With the help of Pharmanex’s team of elite research scientists, we can help coaches and athletes make safe and responsible choices.
BFS is the leader in fitness education for young athletes, and with the help of outstanding companies such as Pharmanex we can help athletes reach their goals in competition and in life. The goals of the Healthy People 2010 project are critical for the health of Americans, and BFS is ready with a plan to help achieve them. Won’t you join us? Thank you, Bob Rowbotham, President, BFS • Weightroom Design • Custom Equipment • BFS Clinics and Seminars • Weightroom Equipment and Supplies • Strength, Conditioning and Nutritional Consultation Lynden, Washington servicing schools in the surrounding area.
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Monroeville, Alabama servicing schools in the surrounding area.
“Our motto in the West Coast office is 'Winning is a habit'. We follow the advice of Vince Lombardi: 'Winning is not a sometimes thing; it's an all the time thing. You do not win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time.'”
“Our motto at the Midwest office is ‘No Excuses.’ We are going to push ourselves as hard as we can every day to help each school we work with to win. Any school that wants to win, can win.” "Our motto in the Southeast is 'Leave it ALL on the field'. We are going to give it everything we got each and every day to help communities, schools, coaches and especially the athletes to WIN."
• Strength Coach at NCAA Div. I • Coached over 6,000 athletes • Coached H.S.
college and pro athletes • Won National Football Title • Strength coached every sport in high school and college • Served as the NSCA Indiana State Director • Coached over 10,000 athletes • Coached high school college and pro athletes • Was a college recruiter for ten years • Has strength coached every major sport • Youngest head high school coach in Alabama at 22 • All-Star Coach AISA-Football 1986 • Auburn Strength & Conditioning Staff 1988-89 • UMS-Wright Strength and Conditioning Coach 1989-90 • Coaching and training with the BFS Program since 1986 COACH EVAN AYRES TOLL-FREE 1-866-237-1550 COACH JEFF SELLERS TOLL-FREE 1-877-767-4273 COACH LANCE NEVEN TOLL-FREE 1-877-214-6060
From BFS Magazine — March/April 2005. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
