Obesity between 1960-1980 stayed around 15% for adults between 20 to 74 of age. The scale then steadily climbs from 1980 until current and now almost 40% of American's between 20-74 are Obese. Why?
Obesity is anyone with the BMI >30. I am currently studying Integrative Nutrition and discovering information which clearly defines why we have such a problem with our food system.
Here is a little humor. When I was about 4 years old my parents took me to a nameless fast food restaurant. As I was emptying my tray my finger got caught in the trash can. The trashcan in the late 1970's had little metal teeth on the trap door. I reached up and put my trash in the hole of the trash can and as I pulled the empty tray out my finger got stuck. A ambulance was called to this fast food place and they had to take me to the hospital to have my middle finger stitched up. The whole summer in family pictures by the pool I am holding my big finger up in this silly bandage. I think of this memory often. Most of the time in nightmares.
This memory is a good reminder of why I want to be a Health and Wellness Coach.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
So what happened in the US in 1980's to make the percentage of obesity to rise significantly in the last 40 years. In the 1980's men and women were consuming roughly around 3200 calories. In 2010 it was reported men and women in the US were consuming 3900 calories which is 700 more calories a day.
In the late 1970's deregulation of agriculture started happening . The agribusiness wanted farmers to plant lots and lots of corn and soy. In order to profitably mass-produce convenience fare for a growing middle class, the food industry needed unchecked access to cheap inputs.Urged on by Earl Butz and buoyed by high grain prices, millions of Midwestern farmers spent the 1970s taking on debt to buy more land, bigger and more complicated machines, new seed varieties, more fertilizers and pesticides, and generally producing as much as they possibly could. Then in the 1970's the US was sitting on mountains of corn and soy and trying to figure out what to do with the surplus.
.jpeg)
Read more here https://grist.org/article/the-butz-stops-here/
One thing is certain. Nutrition is composed of a lot of diametric opinions. There are hundreds of dietary theories and each country has there own take on it. 
Food corporations over the years realized to stay in business they needed to spend billions of dollars in advertising.
The biggest change in advertising was when they started targeting children. .jpeg)
When you can buy 5 hamburgers for $5 and a salad for $5 dollars its some hard choices to make when you are on a family budget.The index price for Fresh Fruit and veggies has increased by 40% since 1980. Beer, Butter, Soda, and processed food has gone down by 15-30% since 1980.
I went to Staples which is an office supply store the other day. They are now selling office snacks! Awesome! I worked at a desk job for 17 years and the days were better when someone had snacks to share. I understand. I get it!
So how can we change this epidemic? Here are a few ideas I came across:
-Make sure you are balancing the calories you are consuming.
-Enjoy your food. Try not to rush while you are eating. It takes time for your body to realize its full.
Foods to Increase:
-Make 1/2 your plate Fruit and Veggies.
-Eat more whole grains.
-Drink more water and less sugary drinks
-Always read the food label and compare sodium levels
We are starting to see some positive change. Let me know what you think of this information. To be continued as I learn more. Remember organic doesn't always mean organic. Invest in your family! I do believe in Bio-Individuality which means one persons food can be another persons poison. Read and learn more about what you are eating. Plant a garden with your family. I would love to hear some other ideas from different people! Globally I think we are realizing we are what we eat. Too be continued.....
.jpeg)
Oh my gawd! please let me see the pictures with the middle finger!! rofl
In all seriousness, great job on your blog @corpdetoxbliss . Keep focusing on great topics and further deepening you knowledge.
This is me with a garden:
The idea 💡 isn’t to go out and buy the cutest outfit to do gardening in. Lol because I certainly don’t understand that theory. 🤥
But here is some good information around health 1) Those “dirty” microbes may cut anxiety and boost brain function.
When you dig in the dirt, you’ll be also digging into mycobacterium vaccae, a soil-based organism that animal research has shown to play a positive role in gut and brain health, including lightening mood and anxiety. It may have similar positive effects in humans. My advice? Don’t stress out about the dirt—play in it!
Gardening is exercise that gets results, and beautiful ones at that, be they in the form of blooming flowers or fresh-off-the-vine produce. As you spend time in the garden, you’ll be working your muscles as you twist and turn, bend, lug, and tug. According to WebMD, you’ll also be burning plenty of calories along the way, at a rate of roughly 200 – 400 per hour.
Very nice:. I also think people think starving themselves means keeping fit..
But that's not true..
I once read somewhere that
We should eat like princes in the morning
And eat like paupers at night
Eat healthy, be healthy :)
Thank you! And to you as well! (:
That you know of this and recognize it as a problem is a step forward.
great article, informative and educative
It’s u! @tukane
What do you mean?
I don't understand
plus its important to note that we should diversify our foods based on our lifestyle and jobs. Those that work exhaustive long hours and energy requiring jobs might be able to burn off their sugars while others whose jobs require less energy input might not.
most foods we have in our younger more active might be not be good for us as we grow older and do less.
These are some really solid tips. I often wonder, how far past this do you go, before even obsessive "fitness" becomes detrimental. So much of it to me, is in the mind, health that is. I have a history of cancer in my family, both parents died from it. So, I've always eaten more fruits and vegetables, watched my sugar intake, especially and exercise 4 to 5 times a week.
Speaking of lifestyle I got sidetracked. You might be interested in a book called Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. It turns out that inheritance has little influence on longevity. Research, in Rostock, Germany, notes that only 3% of lifespan is determined by our parents.
Research shows that genetics play a role in obesity as well. So those people who have obesity genes should be really careful with the kind of foods they eat especially junk food.
What is a gene compared to DNA?
A gene is a segment of DNA that is passed down from parents to children and confers a trait to the offspring. Genes are organized and packaged in units called “chromosomes.” Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes.
I had the 23andme test done a couple of months ago. I think we can be predisposed to certain diseases and or health related problems. What about nature vs nurture. You can take the same person and have them grow up in a healthy lifestyle and unless they find out the predisposition they could live a healthy life.
most people tend to lose and gain weight easily, notwithstanding great diet and lifestyle choices can keep one in great shape and size.
P.S. you dont have to be broomstick thin
Agree! There can bee extremely unhealthy thin people as well! Mind body and soul!
Yea that's true, nature vs nurture. We might have gotten our physical features identical to that of our parents but our environment and lifestyle will have a lasting influence to the way we behave and respond to things pertaining to us
Yes. You are on it. If you want to go really deep. Food is just secondary. It’s our primary food which is our lifestyle and how we balance it. Food and exercise can both be used as a medicator. A medicator is psychology just means something to numb us because we are such a miserable society! Little things can help. Self care which can mean many things. Just 30 minutes doing something we enjoy.
true, wellbeing starts within before spreading outwards. The balance we are able to develop within then reflects on our food choice and lifestyle
Nice post. I think one of the most important thing is to help regulate obesity is to eat more of what grows on trees than what is package in tins cos the preservatives there have effect on us
I like the part you said drink more of water and less sugary drinks. We might not know it but water has a lot of benefits and one of them includes weight reduction. Drinking at least 16 ounces of water in the morning can boost our metabolism by 24%, having a fast or high metabolism increases the rate at which fat is burnt.
I made a post about benefits of water a few days ago and i'm inviting you to check it out
https://steemit.com/lifestyle/@chukwunalu/benefits-of-drinking-water-in-the-morning
prette Scary figures.
Education should be focused on well being, which fundamental part is health. Nice post
PEOPLE TEND TO EAT PLENTY OR TOO MUCH THIS DAYS WITHOUT AT LEAST WORKING OUT
Agreed! For a stable mind we need self care which impacts what we eat crave and how much. For years I stared into the refrigerator looking for answers and beginning to realize it comes from within.
yeah, you're right