The significantly rapid rise in obesity among children and adults in this country over the past 50 years is a fact almost every American can acknowledge. Presently, over two-thirds of our adult population is overweight or obese, as well as one-third of our children. According to the CDC, the average woman in 1960 weighed 140 lbs.; in 2002, she weighed 164. The average weight for a 10 year old child in 1960 was 75.8 lbs.; in 2002 it was 86.5. In spite of these distressing statistics, the actual “cause” of obesity is still greatly debated on a daily basis.
Risk Factors vs. Causes
While there are quite a few factors that contribute to the likelihood of obesity within a particular individual, most of them are simply that – risk factors only, and not a direct cause. These factors include genetics, medications, social factors (education and income), illnesses, and the environment. Even exercise alone, or lack thereof, has recently been proven to be less important in determining the likelihood of obesity.
The Visible Culprit
When focusing more on specific “causes” of obesity, the debate is most often narrowed to two main culprits…the food industry (more specifically, processed or fast food), and personal responsibility.
Fast food chains and packaged food manufacturers are usually the first ones to bear the brunt of the blame. There are several reasons for this. First, they are extremely prevalent because as a culture, Americans prefer everything quick, convenient and inexpensive. Processed and fast foods fit perfectly into that lifestyle. Preparing meals for families after 8-10 hours at a job or making healthy school lunches for children at 6:30am is not something most people look forward to doing.
Second, as is widely known, the processed food industry manufactures foods with little nutritional content. This inevitably leads to weight and health problems. Third, the industry has been accused of intentionally using specific ingredients (sugar, fat, and salt) that not only cause an addiction to a specific food, but have also been proven to cause a person to remain unsatisfied after a meal. While the intent here is not to dispute findings about the specific ingredients in processed foods, or their lack of nutritional value, the point is that a company will always continue to produce a product for which there is demand. And they will very quickly discontinue a product that no one is purchasing.
The Invisible Culprit
The second and more easily overlooked culprit is found not in your pantry, but in your mirror. While inferior ingredients, cost-saving measures, and questionable government subsidies are all valid arguments about the declining quality of food in this country, the bottom line is that the individual consumer always has the final say about what they feed their families. Large corporations may in fact be able to manipulate the ingredients in their products to increase consumption – as was the case with tobacco companies – and some may even market their products to children at a premature age; but no company in the history of this country has ever succeeded in selling a product for which there was no demand. What role do we each play in that?
Sources:
- CDC
- Harvard School of Public Health
- Nutrition Data
- Scientific American – Fat Addiction
- Research Penn State – Sugar Addiction
- CNN Health – Salt Addiction
