The obesity epidemic has really only become apparent during the past 40 years. Men are now on average 17 pounds heavier than they were in the 70's and women are 19 pounds heavier. In addition to that the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled. The two main explanations for why this has happened is changes in lifestyle and changes in diet. Lifestyle change refers to how people in developed nations have become more sedentary, and this is probably due to a large number of factors including modern transportation, entertainment (a stanford study has linked weight gain to television use), and even the changing job environment (less manual labor). The second explanation, changes in diet, refers to things liked processed foods, and additive sugars like High Fructose Corn Syrup. In order to produce food cheaply and safely, manufacturers are processing most of our foods and removing the nutritional value form them as well as adding more fats and sugars. Scientists have found that even though we are an obese society, we are also nutrient deficient and this can be blamed on processed foods. Another big change in our diet is the prevalence of High Fructose Corn Syrup, which now accounts for 9% of the average Americans caloric intake. HFCS is cheaper than sugar in the United States as a result of a combination of corn subsidies and sugar tariffs/quotas, so it is replacing sugar in many products. So, in regards to it not being "as easy as you think" for people to lose weight, it could very well not be. It's very likely that due to changes in our lifestyle and diets it's harder for people to stay at a healthy weight. In other words,someone leading a normal life in 2010 has a greater potential for weight gain than someone leading a normal life in 1970. That said, obesity is still very unhealthy and has been linked to things such as heart disease,cancer, liver disease, and diabetes. I believe that instead of accepting obesity as the new status quo, we should continue to educate people about healthy diet choice and encourage people to live healthier lives.
The two main explanations for why this has happened is changes in lifestyle and changes in diet. Lifestyle change refers to how people in developed nations have become more sedentary, and this is probably due to a large number of factors including modern transportation, entertainment (a stanford study has linked weight gain to television use), and even the changing job environment (less manual labor). The second explanation, changes in diet, refers to things liked processed foods, and additive sugars like High Fructose Corn Syrup. In order to produce food cheaply and safely, manufacturers are processing most of our foods and removing the nutritional value form them as well as adding more fats and sugars. Scientists have found that even though we are an obese society, we are also nutrient deficient and this can be blamed on processed foods. Another big change in our diet is the prevalence of High Fructose Corn Syrup, which now accounts for 9% of the average Americans caloric intake. HFCS is cheaper than sugar in the United States as a result of a combination of corn subsidies and sugar tariffs/quotas, so it is replacing sugar in many products.
So, in regards to it not being "as easy as you think" for people to lose weight, it could very well not be. It's very likely that due to changes in our lifestyle and diets it's harder for people to stay at a healthy weight. In other words,someone leading a normal life in 2010 has a greater potential for weight gain than someone leading a normal life in 1970. That said, obesity is still very unhealthy and has been linked to things such as heart disease,cancer, liver disease, and diabetes. I believe that instead of accepting obesity as the new status quo, we should continue to educate people about healthy diet choice and encourage people to live healthier lives.