The Reasons for the Obesity Epidemic

The general thought is that an increase in calories is the culprit for the obesity epidemic. It is true people are eating much more than they used to. You would think the increase is in dietary fat which is incorrect. It has been well documented that the major increase of calories is from carbohydrates. Fast foods, convenience foods and sweetened drinks and sodas have shown a marked increase in people's diet. The average intake of calories for women in 1975 was a bit more than 1500 but by 2000 that increased to over 1800. In men the increase was from 2500 to over 2650 calories. The consumption of fast foods has tripled in this time period.

A variety of reason also added to the problem. People started to drive everywhere especially in the USA. Now most people would never think of walking to the store even if it is down the street. With remote controllers for TV's, computers and game systems we have become more sedate in our rest hours. At work with the addition to many labor-saving devices and machines we do not get the exercise our bodies sorely need.

Without exercise we bring more problems to add to obesity. Not only does exercise burn calories which also helps regulate certain hormones such as insulin which in excess will increase the intensity of your hunger pangs as your body tries to combat the extra blood sugar in your system but other hormones that also regulate hunger. Insulin also in large quantities will turn the excess sugar into stored body fat which secretes toxins in your body that you cannot clear out as your system is overloaded.

Not sleeping enough also will cause problems and promote obesity. Two hormones which help regulate hunger are disrupted when you do not sleep enough. One of the hormones that are produced in excess is Ghrelin which stimulates your appetite. The hormone that suppresses appetite is now produced in smaller amounts as your sleep decreases.

Having a large intake of carbohydrates especially with the sweetened drinks this go directly into your bloodstream and sets off a chain reaction of which everything that happens is bad. The sugar stimulates the production of insulin and brings such effects as an increase in insulin sensitivity so your body produces more insulin to try to regulate the sugar.

The high concentrations of sugar in the blood also attack your organs and bring on diabetes which is a blanket term for a variety of disease that are made worse by a high concentration of sugar from too many carbohydrates.

When people look at someone who is overweight they do not realize that the condition is a disease and it is a dangerous cycle to be caught in. People who are obese and overweight have a tendency like the rest of us to look for a short cut or a magic pill to lose weight and solve the problem. Unfortunately the best way to combat these different diseases that will eventually kill you is a well balanced diet with small amounts of carbohydrates. Include exercise in small amounts at first and you have a combination of healthy eating and exercise that will improve how you feel and look along with improving your quality of life.