Problem #26: Obesity
Obesity is, pardon the pun, an enormous and growing problem in the US. The US Centres for Disease Control reports that 35.7% of adults in the US are obese, defined by them as a Body Mass Index (defined as mass in kilograms divided by height in metres) of above 301. The US also has the highest percentage of overweight adults in the English speaking world, with 74.1% of American adults defined as overweight (BMI of greater than 25), as compared to 63.8% in the UK, and 46.6% in Ireland2. Obesity in the US has also increased over time, going from less than 50% in 1962 to over 75% in 20103.
Causes of obesity can be- and have been- much discussed. But, it strikes me that what people want is a magic pill that allows them to eat as much as they want, not exercise, and yet remain skinny. Sadly, that’s not how the human body works. Humans evolved in times of scarcity- food was not readily available, and life was hard (hunting, gathering, later farming). As a result, we evolved to use food efficiently- to get as much mileage as we could out of each precious piece of food. And the ability to store scarce food in the form of fat could well be the difference between life and death in times of famine.
Sadly, adaptations such as the above become maladaptive in times of plenty. As such, obesity is a classic first world problem. Fortunately, it doesn’t call for a fancy solution. If you take in more calories than you expend, you will put on weight; if you take in fewer calories than you expend, you will lose weight. As I say, it’s not science, it’s accounting. Anyone who tells you anything else is either lying to you or trying to sell you something.
My suggestion, though, is a fairly simple one: it’s easier to maintain 2 moderate changes than 1 extreme one. This means that, while you may not be able to maintain a crash diet, or keep going to the gym for 2 hours a day every day, you will be more able to cut out some between-meal snacks and add a little walking. Moderate changes are the kind that you can maintain, and that’s the key to a healthy diet.
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