The Cause of Obesity

[Scot_Anderson]

Well let's think about this. I consider my diet to be more of a lifestyle, a healthy lifestyle. Eating 6-7 times a day on a high protein diet is really the only way to shred and store food accordingly. Oatmeal, applesauce, brown rice, veggies, eggs, cottage cheese, natural fruit, protein shakes, protein bars/snack bars, chicken, fish, beef once in awhile, good whole wheats, a good multi-vitamin have a cheat day once in awhile cut out sugar as much as possible. Try to workout high stamina 45 minutes per day. You will be shocked how much better you feel.

[Dr.Stri8ed]

Eating healthy and working out to feel better takes will power and is a lifestyle, not a one, two, or three year plan. It's a choice you make, people need to be on a routine and stick to it.

Correct. And if they have to work harder when they get older to keep the weight off, then so b it. If u want it bad enough, you'll get it.

[CaseyW]

I disagree with these. All of these existed in the 20's 30's 40's 50's 60's but obestity wasn't a fraction of the problem it is today. It wasn't till modern day that so many people started getting fat. The big difference is fast food. These easy to grab and go meals have recked peoples bodytypes. In and of themseleves they are not terrible for a treat now and then, but too many people eat at least 1 FF meal a day if not all of them. I read about some small island or something where everyone was thin and they introduced fast food and now it's an obesity epedimic.

It's people substituting crap for meals that is the problem, people have been drinking alcohol and eating candy and cookies and cakes for centuries.

I can pin it to several things.

Sugar
Alcohol
Genetics
Laziness

Just my .02c

[D2footballjrc]

I disagree with these. All of these existed in the 20's 30's 40's 50's 60's but obestity wasn't a fraction of the problem it is today. It wasn't till modern day that so many people started getting fat. The big difference is fast food. These easy to grab and go meals have recked peoples bodytypes. In and of themseleves they are not terrible for a treat now and then, but too many people eat at least 1 FF meal a day if not all of them. I read about some small island or something where everyone was thin and they introduced fast food and now it's an obesity epedimic.

It's people substituting crap for meals that is the problem, people have been drinking alcohol and eating candy and cookies and cakes for centuries.

Fast food and lets face it.. Most of us work behind a desk now. Laboring jobs are fewer today then in the past.

[ZiR RED]

I still constribute some to epigenetics.

Next, the total kcal consumption by children has only increased by 100 kcal/week between now and the 70's. If activity stayed the same, this is barely enough to contribute 1.5 pounds a year gain. Obviously, either the type of food (HFCS TSA, etc.) or the reduction in activity (internet and social media), or a combo of both heavily contributed toward the childhood epidemic.

[D2footballjrc]

I still constribute some to epigenetics.

Next, the total kcal consumption by children has only increased by 100 kcal/week between now and the 70's. If activity stayed the same, this is barely enough to contribute 1.5 pounds a year gain. Obviously, either the type of food (HFCS TSA, etc.) or the reduction in activity (internet and social media), or a combo of both heavily contributed toward the childhood epidemic.

Then:
Riding bikes, playing in the street, hitting each other with sticks..

Now:
Riding bikes in a video game, playing street fighting in a video game, hitting each other with sticks in a video game..

:-D

[bigdavid]

The people on this website are mostly exceptional because we constantly think about our bodies and we think about what we eat and how much we need, etc. The general public does not think about their daily calories or obsess about lifting weights and looking a certain way. The general public eats based on taste, convenience, hunger, etc. It depends what type of person you are and how determined you are. There are so many factors that go into obesity. It is surely not all about being lazy.. it also has to do with environment, genetics, sometimes even knowledge. Though knowledge does not dictate behavior but that is a separate issue all together. The point that I am trying to make is that the general public is not comprised of athletes/bodybuilders and they do not think like we do or have the same type of motivation.

[bigdavid]

I still constribute some to epigenetics.

Next, the total kcal consumption by children has only increased by 100 kcal/week between now and the 70's. If activity stayed the same, this is barely enough to contribute 1.5 pounds a year gain. Obviously, either the type of food (HFCS TSA, etc.) or the reduction in activity (internet and social media), or a combo of both heavily contributed toward the childhood epidemic.

I agree with what you are saying and I think the biggest factor over even the food choices made is physical inactivity. I personally used to play sports for around 4 hours a day when I was in middle school and a teenager. I know a lot of children now that just sit on their butts at home eat potato chips and play video games all day. Canceling recess in schools is not helping the issue.

[D2footballjrc]

The people on this website are mostly exceptional because we constantly think about our bodies and we think about what we eat and how much we need, etc. The general public does not think about their daily calories or obsess about lifting weights and looking a certain way. The general public eats based on taste, convenience, hunger, etc. It depends what type of person you are and how determined you are. There are so many factors that go into obesity. It is surely not all about being lazy.. it also has to do with environment, genetics, sometimes even knowledge. Though knowledge does not dictate behavior but that is a separate issue all together. The point that I am trying to make is that the general public is not comprised of athletes/bodybuilders and they do not think like we do or have the same type of motivation.

Agreed. I think I can state this best, as I am probably the least of a bodybuilder on this site (currently, I'm working on it) I started at 382 pounds, been working my tail off to get to were I am. I can say this is a different type of motivation that I did not have before. It just started one day and I haven't looked back. It's a completely different mentality then I used to have.

[AaronJP1]

The people on this website are mostly exceptional because we constantly think about our bodies and we think about what we eat and how much we need, etc. The general public does not think about their daily calories or obsess about lifting weights and looking a certain way. The general public eats based on taste, convenience, hunger, etc. It depends what type of person you are and how determined you are. There are so many factors that go into obesity. It is surely not all about being lazy.. it also has to do with environment, genetics, sometimes even knowledge. Though knowledge does not dictate behavior but that is a separate issue all together. The point that I am trying to make is that the general public is not comprised of athletes/bodybuilders and they do not think like we do or have the same type of motivation.

Agreed as well....

[Dr.Stri8ed]

The people on this website are mostly exceptional because we constantly think about our bodies and we think about what we eat and how much we need, etc. The general public does not think about their daily calories or obsess about lifting weights and looking a certain way. The general public eats based on taste, convenience, hunger, etc. It depends what type of person you are and how determined you are. There are so many factors that go into obesity. It is surely not all about being lazy.. it also has to do with environment, genetics, sometimes even knowledge. Though knowledge does not dictate behavior but that is a separate issue all together. The point that I am trying to make is that the general public is not comprised of athletes/bodybuilders and they do not think like we do or have the same type of motivation.

Yep, we all have anabolic minds.

[anoopbal]

I still constribute some to epigenetics.

Next, the total kcal consumption by children has only increased by 100 kcal/week between now and the 70's. If activity stayed the same, this is barely enough to contribute 1.5 pounds a year gain. Obviously, either the type of food (HFCS TSA, etc.) or the reduction in activity (internet and social media), or a combo of both heavily contributed toward the childhood epidemic.

H Zir red,

If you look at the average weight gain for the last 50 years it is only around 20lbs! What we call a 33% increase in obesity prevalence in a decade is a 5-10 lbs increase!

And you have to understand where the obesity levels are increasing. The overweight category 25-30 BMI almost remain the same for the last 40 years. The changes are mainly due to the increase obesity in people over 30 BMI and over. Th obese are getting more obese it seems. So it is not that everyone is just getting obese when people say obesity epidemic!

And guess what, since 2000, the obesity prevalence is plateauing in both adults & kids. So all the predictions we made from the 1990 data were wrong!

[ZiR RED]

H Zir red,

If you look at the average weight gain for the last 50 years it is only around 20lbs! What we call a 33% increase in obesity prevalence in a decade is a 5-10 lbs increase!

And you have to understand where the obesity levels are increasing. The overweight category 25-30 BMI almost remain the same for the last 40 years. The changes are mainly due to the increase obesity in people over 30 BMI and over. Th obese are getting more obese it seems. So it is not that everyone is just getting obese when people say obesity epidemic!

And guess what, since 2000, the obesity prevalence is plateauing in both adults & kids. So all the predictions we made from the 1990 data were wrong!

I agree with everything you just said. What were the 1990 data/predictions?

[Dr.Stri8ed]

H Zir red,

If you look at the average weight gain for the last 50 years it is only around 20lbs! What we call a 33% increase in obesity prevalence in a decade is a 5-10 lbs increase!

And you have to understand where the obesity levels are increasing. The overweight category 25-30 BMI almost remain the same for the last 40 years. The changes are mainly due to the increase obesity in people over 30 BMI and over. Th obese are getting more obese it seems. So it is not that everyone is just getting obese when people say obesity epidemic!

And guess what, since 2000, the obesity prevalence is plateauing in both adults & kids. So all the predictions we made from the 1990 data were wrong!

This is interesting, can u elaborate further bro?

[Lukef2000]

I disagree with these. All of these existed in the 20's 30's 40's 50's 60's but obestity wasn't a fraction of the problem it is today. It wasn't till modern day that so many people started getting fat. The big difference is fast food. These easy to grab and go meals have recked peoples bodytypes. In and of themseleves they are not terrible for a treat now and then, but too many people eat at least 1 FF meal a day if not all of them. I read about some small island or something where everyone was thin and they introduced fast food and now it's an obesity epedimic.

It's people substituting crap for meals that is the problem, people have been drinking alcohol and eating candy and cookies and cakes for centuries.

Yes agreed fast food is a big problem but what do you think makes fast food so addictive?? You'd be surprised at the amount of sugar in a mcdonalds burger, and the additional sodium they add to make you buy a drink that's again full of sugar!

[Dr.Stri8ed]

Yes agreed fast food is a big problem but what do you think makes fast food so addictive?? You'd be surprised at the amount of sugar in a mcdonalds burger, and the additional sodium they add to make you buy a drink that's again full of sugar!

Hell yeah its ridiculous especially when u look up the nutrition facts and see for yourself.

[anoopbal]

This is interesting, can u elaborate further bro?

Hi Zirred & DR. Stri8ed,

I am writng an article soon about it. Probably the next one.

And Zirered, we were expecting the obesity trends to increase like as in 1980's and 90's until 2050. But we are seeing a slowing down or a plateau in obesity. Some say it is because of the all the health policy's and some think we have a genetic plateau. I will send you the graphs.

[steve0003]

IMHO portion control in our diets is a huge under-appreciated part of the story.

I am a firm believer that some people are destined to be thin genetically and others are not. But I can't deny what I also see - every single overweight person I know eats 2x as much food as the skinny ones.

[Dr.Stri8ed]

IMHO portion control in our diets is a huge under-appreciated part of the story.

I am a firm believer that some people are destined to be thin genetically and others are not. But I can't deny what I also see - every single overweight person I know eats 2x as much food as the skinny ones.

U make a good point. Personally I've never seen an overweight person eat less than a skinny person also. The rare occasions I eat fast food, I can go into a Mcdonald's and see a man that's obese eat way more than his son, who is not overweight.

[steve0003]

That's what I'm talking about.

We usually see overweight people eating more than a skinny person. If it registers in our minds at all, then we usually just explain it to ourselves by thinking, "Yeah, it makes sense they're gonna eat more than I would eat, look at the huge body they're maintaining."

But that's precisely the problem. They stay overweight because their intake has gradually adjusted upwards enough to maintain that huge body.