It almost goes without saying…but eating too many calories is perhaps the reason for the ever increasing obesity problem in America, reports the researcher of a new study.
A group of researchers at the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention in Australia have determined over the past 30 years average calorific intake in people has risen by 500 calories a day though their exercise levels have changed little, The Daily Telegraph reported.
The study used 1399 adults and 963 children; based on several formulas and calculations, they concluded that while exuberant calorie intake was the reason for the weight gain, exercise did stunt the amount gained by approximately 4lbs( 2 kilos”. So, while a lack of exercise did not result in weight gain, increased activity reduced the amount individuals actually gained.
When the study looked at the kids, the tests gave a 100 per cent match, demonstrating that changes in physical activity had had no affect on the climbing incidence of obesity in children.
The rising incidence of obesity in the USA is complicated by the fact that race, gender, mental health and subcultures of each disproportionately represent the increase. When looking at infants, overweight and fat infants (greater than the 95th % ile), grow up to be overweight and obese children, adolescents and young adults. Studying toddlers: 31% American Indian 4 year olds are obese, 24 % Hispanic 4 year olds are obese, 22 % African American 4 year olds, 13 % Asian 4 year olds (mainly Pacific Islanders and Subcontinent Indians, 15 % Caucasians 4 year olds are obese. The infants and toddlers were fed by their parent (s) and grand-parents. These children will likely grow up to be obese and, if the child is genetically predisposed, suffer some of the medical complications associated with obesity. This is a cultural issue. People making decisions about eating and feeding dependents occurs within a cultural context. Blanket strategies for the whole USA population to adopt will waste limited resources and achieve little. McDonalds years ago posted nutritional information in most of their outlets which of course did not influence choices. Laws written for fast food restaurants are likely to have the same limited to no impact. There are unintended consequences to posting nutritional information, especially aimed at formative minds like adolescents. Recently several school lunchrooms removed their nutritional information as girls were using such postings to limit their calories and many descended into eating disorders. Not only that, but boys, and almost unheard of group, began having eating disorders as well. Not only in K – 12 did this phenomenon occur, but Harvard University removed from its eating halls nutritional information because of an explosion in eating disorders, primarily young women, but young men soon appeared as well. Eating in stressful situations is very common. Chronic overeating in chronic stressful situations, a self-destructive coping strategy, is an important driver for obesity. Addressing obesity in the USA should be targeted to the cultural and mental health issues involved. Doesn’t that make more sense than spending limited resources on advocating for “victory gardens”, organic foods, meatless meals, and removing the soda pop machine from the lunch room? What do you want us to do? Harass overweight and obese people who already feel bad about themselves? Or, implement culturally specific educational experiences, behavior modification therapies, and provide supportive services to have mom’s not feel compelled to overfeed their infants and toddlers.
As one of the so-called ‘poor’ Americans that grew up on food stamps in the 1970′s, the issue of food was not up for debate: There was NO justification for eating more than was appropriate, and for the most part, FOOD was vegetables, powdered milk for dairy, plain cereals (NO Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms or Froot-Loops), the really gross brown canned meat (Ooooo.. Chunks O’ Aorta! yum!) and the ever ubiquitous gallons of REAL peanut butter.
When I have watched over the years as friends and members of my own family have made DELIBERATE choices to eat cheaply made, fattening garbage (egregiously called ‘food’) in order to save money to buy drugs or alcohol, it becomes apparent that only sanctions will stop this behavbiour. Does this mean EVERYONE who is obese is a druggie or a boozer? Hardly, but there are enough of these situations that Do occur to merit some form of intervention in matters of dietary choices. Over and over, time and again I have witnessed fat shoppers in grocery stores waddling behind shopping carts overloaded with product of marginal nutritive value. Junk ‘food’ in brightly colored boxes that sit in the middle aisles of stores so rendered to a point of stability (so it CAN sit on a shelf for WEEKS without spoiling) that it is made nearly inorganic and virtually impossible for a HUMAN BODY to absorb nutrients from. Obesity AND malnutrition and probably a good whopping dose of diabetes by age 55 thrown in for good measure. This is the Great Shame of America, and there needs to be a whole lot of anger directed at the industries that profit from putting such garbage onto shelves. I did not realize the depths of contempt to which the ‘food’ industrialists hold the average American consumer, until I started to educate myself to the scope and nature of what we call a refined, western diet. It’s no wonder that Americans are becoming diseased blobs. When one considers the sheer volume of Americans who are on a rotating door through their doctors’ offices for health problems almost ENTIRELY related to piss-poor diet, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see why the healthcare industry is in a meltdown. Who can keep up with the damage done by the McFood industry? Would you like fries with that? Regards, foodandart