Posted on 03/03/2020 6:46:29 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
A study finds that people today who eat and exercise the same amount as people 20 years ago are still fatter.
A 2016 study published in the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice found that it’s harder for adults today to maintain the same weight as those 20 to 30 years ago did, even at the same levels of food intake and exercise.
The authors examined the dietary data of 36,400 Americans between 1971 and 2008 and the physical activity data of 14,419 people between 1988 and 2006. They grouped the data sets together by the amount of food and activity, age, and BMI.
They found a very surprising correlation: A given person, in 2006, eating the same amount of calories, taking in the same quantities of macronutrients like protein and fat, and exercising the same amount as a person of the same age did in 1988 would have a BMI that was about 2.3 points higher. In other words, people today are about 10 percent heavier than people were in the 1980s, even if they follow the exact same diet and exercise plans.
“Our study results suggest that if you are 25, you’d have to eat even less and exercise more than those older, to prevent gaining weight,” Jennifer Kuk, a professor of kinesiology and health science at Toronto’s York University, said in a statement. “However, it also indicates there may be other specific changes contributing to the rise in obesity beyond just diet and exercise.”
Just what those other changes might be, though, are still a matter of hypothesis. In an interview, Kuk proffered three different factors that might be making harder for adults today to stay thin.
First, people are exposed to more chemicals that might be weight-gain inducing. Pesticides, flame retardants, and the substances in food packaging might all be altering our hormonal processes and tweaking the way our bodies put on and maintain weight.
Second, the use of prescription drugs has risen dramatically since the ‘70s and ‘80s. Prozac, the first blockbuster SSRI, came out in 1988. Antidepressants are now one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S., and many of them have been linked to weight gain.
Finally, Kuk and the other study authors think that the microbiomes of Americans might have somehow changed between the 1980s and now. It’s well known that some types of gut bacteria make a person more prone to weight gain and obesity. Americans are eating more meat than they were a few decades ago, and many animal products are treated with hormones and antibiotics in order to promote growth. All that meat might be changing gut bacteria in ways that are subtle, at first, but add up over time. Kuk believes the proliferation of artificial sweeteners could also be playing a role.
The fact that the body weights of Americans today are influenced by factors beyond their control is a sign, Kuk says, that society should be kinder to people of all body types.
“There's a huge weight bias against people with obesity,” she said. “They're judged as lazy and self-indulgent. That's really not the case. If our research is correct, you need to eat even less and exercise even more” just to be same weight as your parents were at your age.
The exercise part is perhaps one area where Old Economy Steve doesn’t have an edge. A membership at one of the newfangled fitness centers of 1987 would go for about $2,800 per year in today’s dollars, and that’s still what it costs today.
2-Smartphones and personal devices
Fewer potato chip selections?
Yes & No. We eat far more chicken, but significantly less beef.
“the use of prescription drugs has risen dramatically”
This
I read this earlier and determined the guy is a crackhead looking for excuses. Try reading this:
https://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=231343
The medical industry doesn’t want you to read this.
Nor does the food industry.
But you should read it, and let it sink in.
Pffft! It’s because everything is kittified now.
Cigarettes are probably a factor. People who smoke tend to be skinny. Not so much of that these days.
Of course, marijuana gives you munchies. Seems like every time I go shopping I stand next to someone who reeks of it. They eat a lot of junk.
Because we used to disco til we dropped....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozoTzkCeO-A
1988 Crystal Light National Aerobic Championship Opening
People can laugh all they want at this (ok, some of it is pretty corny), but back then we actually WATCHED stuff like this and celebrated being fit and healthy.
Now I understand that TVs had remote controls in 1988, and cordless phones were coming into popularity, but there were no cell phones, and people just got up more frequently.
From cheap appliances to Uber, people just don’t do as much as they used too.
...and if you think 1988 was skinnier than 2018, let’s look at the ‘70s or 60s, when a lot of kids walked to school and a lot of people didn’t have air conditioning, and went outside all the time. heh
In the 80’s when I was still a single digit midgit, my Dad used to kick my sister and I out of the house to go play. Instead of Nintendo, I was playing Pickle, and Hide and go seek tag with my friends. Plenty of running with those two games.
There’s several different reasons.
1. Work is less labor-intensive now. There’s a lot more sedentary jobs that fatten you up.
2. Social media, video games, and computers eat up time that we used to spend outside running around or doing things like even walking around Sears, etc. This also happens because Amazon, etc., takes out the initiative to go out and walk around for a while, cutting 200-300 kCal.
3. We’re more connected and more responsible for work after hours, so our sleep is less solid and we snack more later, and don’t just hit the bed and sleep for 7 hours.
20 years ago was only the year 2000. American’s lifestyles haven’t changed much since 2000.
Fast food was just as prevalent.
People were already eating high-carb/low-fat in 2000.
Women had entered the workforce & home cooking had declined.
The median age of Americans in 2000 was 35. Today it’s almost 39.
The population is aging, and with that comes weight gain.
Well, my reason is that during the 80’s, I was in the Army running between 10 to 20 miles per week.
. . we’ve engineered activity out of our lives ..
And to follow up on my point about age.
Median age:
1970 - 28
1980 - 30
1990 - 33
2000 - 35
2010 - 37
2020 - 39
The country is getting older. And when you get older, you have a harder time keeping the weight off.
Some of the comments are hilarious.
So, a whole long winded article reporting an observation but not a clue why the observed changes have happened.
Oh, and data from 2006. Such a timely report.
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