What do you think is the primary reason for obesity?

Deltafliers

If you put these incredibly confusing messages together with our more sedentary lifestyles, our growing expectation of instant gratification, our increased disposable income, increased access to food 24 hours a day, expanding portion sizes, pricing wars making manufactured junk food cheaper than ever.... the question should really be "how does anyone maintain a healthy weight?"

Well said!

DaGsGirl

I think the majority of it is due to soda and processed foods.HF Corn syrup is in so many things anymore and its HORRIBLE for you. Im a firm believer that NOBODY should drink ANY soda.

mcarter99

Our biology hasn't caught up with our environment. Our bodies are used to physical work and periodic famines and simpler, less calorie dense food.

I don't think people are lazy, stupid, weak or emotionally fragile. Or any food is evil, deadly or addictive.

JuneBPrice

Food tastes good. Technology has provided us an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Cheap, delicious food is in abundant supply.

smantha32

I think processed foods are engineered (yes, engineered, as in a factory or lab...) to be addictive. High-fructose corn syrup, for example, is very addictive, and it's in a TON of processed/fast food. Same with MSG. These kind of foods are manufactured to leave the consumer wanting more...hence the profit.

THIS

jackieatx

Fat.

CarleyLovesPets

Potion control and sedentary lifestyles.

LelliAmi

All of the above.

jenilla1

Of course there are so many factors - some beyond people's control, but for the most part I believe it's: poor impulse control, laziness, and ignorance (proper portions / basic nutrition) - mostly selfish reasons...

LelliAmi

I think processed foods are engineered (yes, engineered, as in a factory or lab...) to be addictive. High-fructose corn syrup, for example, is very addictive, and it's in a TON of processed/fast food. Same with MSG. These kind of foods are manufactured to leave the consumer wanting more...hence the profit.

THIS

In a way, I agree. But it also seems like a little bit of a scapegoat to blame the food and not the person's choices.

akiramezu

People only have themselves to blame enough said. you are what you eat, period. Truth hurts but it's what it is, it's not your thyroid, it's not your genetics, it's not the blame of the food industry. People CHOOSE to put food in their mouth, people CHOOSE to eat unhealthy foods, people CHOOSE to not exercise. Obesity is due to the choices they've made and now they are paying the consequences, they got nobody to blame but themselves.

jadedone

I think the quality of food in our mainstream food system has accelerated the problem. I don't believe peoples eating habits have changed all that much. But the stuff added to our foods has changed immensely.

The obesity "epidemic" accelerated starting in about the 80s or so, but the difference in daily calories consumed from the 60s-70s to now isn't that big. A few percentage points. That points to something else other than eating too much, our bodies are pretty good at adjusting to small changes. What did change? A higher percentage of calories from beverages, and the types of beverages tat made up those calories. Also, that was when the whole scale replacement of sugar with corn syrup occurred. How about GMO foods? Didn't those start at the same time? And what about all the hormones added to our food?

kathyms13

the primary reason for obesity is pure and simple over eating, and yes with places like mcdonalds etc pushing ex large portions peoples portions size has at least doubled. we stuff ourselves with foods so the body stores it, the sad thing is the kids today are becoming obese as well .i do agree with this processed foods are engineered (yes, engineered, as in a factory or lab...) to be addictive. High-fructose corn syrup, for example, is very addictive, and it's in a TON of processed/fast food. Same with MSG. These kind of foods are manufactured to leave the consumer wanting more...hence the profit.
but at the end of the day, we are the ones stuffing our faces. sorry to be blunt but i say it as it is.

TheVimFuego

Other ...

Poor dietary advice and the subsequent mass fat-phobic mindset that would naturally follow from being told to compensate by loading up on food that is not optimal for our diet.

Add in a food industry that caters for this to create a mass of nutrient poor pseudo-food that is designed to push our buttons taste-wise.

Add to that support for all this by governments which are in the pockets of industry and there you have it.

Most people who are overweight want to lose, for some it is THE most important thing, and so will follow the guidelines and exercise ... and still it doesn't work in the long term.

We are advised to focus on calories, think about the law of thermodynamics (calories in/out, you can't create or destroy energy, etc), to restrict intake and exercise more as the primary weapon in losing fat ... to eat less essential nutrients and burn them faster ... and it don't make sense if you take a step of two back.

So, when the dieter somehow takes the weight off by cutting back and exercising and goes back to eating 'normally' they get fat again, and then some. AND they are probably eating less food than before because their metabolism is shot.

The underlying issues are not being addressed ... the metabolism, hormones ... Get those right THEN worry about your TDEE, your macronutrient profile or whatever the bejesus you want.

The 'Gluttony and Sloth' argument just doesn't stand up.

http://thesmarterscienceofslim.com/jonathan-bailors-smarter-science-of-slim-podcast/

TinaS88

Lack of self control. People just shoveling whatever in their mouths. People CHOOSING to make bad food choices. We are not made to eat for pleasure, we are made to eat to survive. Not saying you can't enjoy a snack here in there, you just need to be smart about it.

akiramezu

I think the quality of food in our mainstream food system has accelerated the problem. I don't believe peoples eating habits have changed all that much. But the stuff added to our foods has changed immensely.

Are you serious? Americans eat donuts and milkshakes and other high sugary goodies for breakfast, dozens of candy bars as snacks, super high calorific and high carbohydrate meals for dinner, and the portion sizes have increased significantly, and you're telling me 'i don't believe peoples eating habits have changed all that much' is complete BS. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the way we are eating has changed dramatically. The fact of the matter is, Yes the food industry is also messed up, High fructose corn syrup in nearly everything, GMO foods and such but still, we choose to eat them.

BeckyLH

If you're in the US, I would say portion control, everything is HUGE over there! Also, the availability to 'treats' is massive - like in Walmart the huge donut aisle.

TitanGM

1 - Sugar
2 - Vegetable oils
3 - Processed foods
4 - Sedentary life (inactivity)
5 - Mentality

michellekicks

Packaged and genetically modified foods have corrupted every level of our food chain. Have a look at the ingredients of anything packaged. They're full of soybean oil (soybeans are completely genetically modified at this point), corn oil, corn starch, corn syrup... even the animals have been taught to eat corn because it can be produced so cheaply. It's horrifying and I think it has messed with our endocrine systems.

I think our bodies don't know how to process this junk and they've given up on normal signals of satiety and hunger. We don't know when we're hungry anymore. We crave salt and sugar and fat and I'm convinced it's because of the engineered food products that barely count as food that we're gobbling up because they're cheap and easy to prepare.

That's just my opinion, but I think as long as we're eating things that neither had a mother nor grew out of the ground, we're going to have an obesity problem of epidemic proportions.

sasssurf

Deep saddness.