What is causing the obesity epidemic?

[cowgirl1776]

I've lived in Ohio for most of my life. In my time, I've never seen many overweight people - certainly nothing close to what the statistics for the United States would indicate. This changed when I traveled South, San Antonio to be more specific. In this city, I was out of place in a sea of obese people and unlike Ohio, it felt as though seeing another person with a BMI of 95 - 110 was quite uncommon. When I returned to Ohio after a few months I began to think. "Why is there such a discrepancy between regions, and why has the problem been gaining momentum over the past three decades?"

 

It was at this point that I came across WHO statement in 2015, which said that Germany had actually overtaken the United States by a small margin - and the rest of Central and Western Europe was quickly closing the gap. My first instinct was to suspect that it may be related to prosperity, but with Japan being one of the wealthiest countries in the world whilst simultaneously maintaining an ideal weight, it's difficult for me to believe this is the (only?) cause. I then suspected that it may perhaps be related to the number of fast food establishments, but once again Japan performs the role of an oddity with a high number of such locations per capita whilst having a low BMI.

[TheMastersSon]

Japan's numbers are a direct result of their national diet (indigenous cooking not fast food chains), which is heavily fish-based. Meats are horribly expensive there since nearly all of it must be imported. The side benefits of a fish diet are many, including lower obesity numbers and heart disease rates etc.

 

My guess for an answer to the topic question is diet soft drinks, since everyone I've ever seen drinking them has been substantially overweight. :smile:

Edited October 15, 2017 by TheMastersSon

[JimboUK]

Diets haven't changed but the amount of physical activity people do has gone down.

[RGMage2]

A few years back I started packing on the pounds, my weight ballooned to about 205lbs over a 2 or 3 month period from my normal 175lbs. Over that time period I was eating lunch at McDonalds every day. No pop, just Big Macs, fries, apple pies and juice.

 

For financial reasons I started bringing my lunch from home. My weight quickly came down to normal. No special diet, no extra exercising, the weight came off naturally, all it took was cutting out McDonalds.

[Rabbit1251]

MacDonald's. The traditional diets of the Mediterranean people and the Japanese is healthful and slimming. Fish and vegetables. When MacDonald's and other fast food outlets opened in Japan all of a sudden after centuries the Japanese have an obesity problem. Even a rabbit can figure that one out.

 

 

The Rabbit

[iXenite]

My first instinct was to suspect that it may be related to prosperity, but with Japan being one of the wealthiest countries in the world whilst simultaneously maintaining an ideal weight, it's difficult for me to believe this is the (only?) cause. I then suspected that it may perhaps be related to the number of fast food establishments, but once again Japan performs the role of an oddity with a high number of such locations per capita whilst having a low BMI.

 

What is the Japanese diet mostly consist of? That explains why they're healthier in general.

[CodyR4494]

Fat acceptance.

[HeyYou]

Spoons. We should ban them. People use them for all sorts of unhealthy purposes.

[gnarly1]

Spoons. We should ban them. People use them for all sorts of unhealthy purposes.

Do they? I can’t imagine what those purposes might be but perhaps you could draw me a picture or two to educate me?

[HeyYou]

 

Spoons. We should ban them. People use them for all sorts of unhealthy purposes.

Do they? I can’t imagine what those purposes might be but perhaps you could draw me a picture or two to educate me?

 

They use them to stuff their faces with all sorts of unhealthy goodness..... erm..... stuff. :D