Reasons Why So Many People Are Overweight

Obesity has become a huge problem for most people living in
developed countries. Today, 30% of children between the ages of
10 and 17 are obese and 60% of all adults are either overweight
or obese. There are many reasons for our overweight problem.

Obesity is responsible for increased rates of stroke, heart
attack, type II diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. In
fact it is responsible for as many premature deaths as smoking.
Obesity has now become a threat to our longevity.

On the surface it would seem that the underlying reason is
really quite simple. If a person takes in more calories than
the person burns, weight gain is the final outcome. These
factors certainly play a role in obesity but there are more
factors which contribute to this problem.

Modern society has changed a great deal from just a couple of
generations ago when agriculture and manual labor were common
place. Today people spend a great deal of the day sitting at a
desk in an office, driving the car, or relaxing on the sofa at
home. All of which has affected the overall health of people
living in developed countries.

By the time a person arrives home, the last thing most are
thinking about is going for a walk or heading off to the gym.
Combine that with the idea that as a nation we eat just as much
food, if not more than our ancestors did without nearly as much
physical exertion and suddenly the recipe for obesity becomes
very clear.

But there is more to it. Statistics show that we have actually
doubled our food intake. This is where the fast food industry
is to blame. Everything has been super sized and not in a good
way either with most of these foods being high in trans fatty
acids (the bad fat) and sugar, it is easy to see that weight
gain is inevitable.

But the fast food industry cannot take all the credit. Our
schooling system has allowed vending machines to offer children
fast food and soft drinks with provides no nutritional value and
empty calories. School cafeterias that serve food are hardly a
step above fast food. Add to that, most parents nowadays don't
have time to cook traditional wholesome foods due their hectic
work schedule and as a result buy convenience foods which are
also high in fat and sugar and low in nutrition.

As well both children and adults are now more sedentary than
any other time in history. PE is no longer mandatory in
schools; recess time has almost disappeared, after school play
time has been replaced with the Xbox or Gameboy. Now instead of
the entire body getting a workout only the thumbs do.

Most adults are too busy or too tired to add an exercise regime
to their day and even something as simple as a walk can seem
demanding. The result is people do not have time to burn off
all those excess calories that they are consuming through the
day.

Statistics show that if adults in the home are overweight then
chances are that their children will also be overweight.
Statistics have shown that when adults in the home are not
physically active children in the home will not be active
either. Studies have confirmed that both good and bad eating
habits are developed in the home. It is a combination of what
adults allow their children to eat and what they serve their
children which is contributing to our overweight crisis.

The reasons for our overweight problem are complex. Increasing
physical activity and improving nutrition are great ways to
start to work towards a solution to this predicament.

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