Not necessarily fewer calories, but certainly better, more well thought out calories. We tend to have a problem with processed carbs in this country. Cut back on that, move those calories over to animal proteins and fat, exercise regularly (preferably weight training), and that fat will recomp into muscle fairly quickly. It's all about consistency, that's why "diets" fail. It's seen as a thing to do for a short time and then you can dump it and go back to what you were doing.
That approach is guaranteed to fail, but people don't like to change even when their current habits are killing them quickly.
This is why there is a huge difference.
Mom's cooking from scratch - not any more
Food from the garden or nearby farm - not like it used to.
Few options for processed foods loaded with fat, sugar and salt - now it's everywhere and at all times
Kids with their bicycles, skate boards, dirty play clothes from being outside all today - ain't happening anywhere now.
This is a man made pandemic created by the food industry, government, and sociopathic parents.
If you are fat, you shouldn't have kids. If you have fat kids, you should quit feeding them long acting rat poison type foods.
Carbs trigger the fat storage hormones too. People need to eat more foods which do not trigger the release of insulin.