Why are we so fat - Essay Example

Why are we so fat? Obesity or over weight is one of the major health problems in many countries and America is also not an exception. In America, both children and adults are victims of overweight. According to the 2011 statistics published by National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES), “About one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese” (U.S. Obesity Trends). Obesity is caused by excessive fat deposits in body. Lack of physical workouts, overeating, changing food habits, excessive fat contents in foods etc are some of the reasons for the increasing trends in obesity statistics. This paper tries to answer the question; why are we so fat? According to what’s known as the Expensive Tissue Hypothesis, early humans compensated for the energy used in their heads by cutting back on the energy used in their guts; as man’s cranium grew, his digestive tract shrank. This forced him to obtain more energy-dense foods than his fellow-primates were subsisting on, which put a premium on adding further brain power. The result of this self-reinforcing process was a strong taste for foods that are high in calories and easy to digest; just as it is natural for gorillas to love leaves, it is natural for people to love funnel cakes (Kolbert). One of the major reasons cited for the overweight related problems among Americans is the changes happening in the brain systems. It is a fact that brain is getting far more developed as time goes on. In other words, current generation has brain size much higher than that of the generations in the past. Thus brains of the current generation require more energy and for that purpose they consume more energetic foods. American medical association committed a serious blunder by asking the public to take only low fat food. “They failed to take into account that when people do that, they increase their carbohydrates. Slashing carbohydrates and sticking to protein (Why are We So Fat?). It should be noted that blocking of fatty foods not only prevented the ketosis process but also it caused increased hunger. Thus people started to eat more and more foods enriched with carbohydrates which resulted in overweight. Current Americans are consuming foods like pasta, potatoes, flour, cereal products, and bread more and more than the Americans in the past. These food items have low glucose contents and therefore a spike in insulin production may occur. Low blood sugar can increases hunger and appetite for food and the final outcome could be overweight. It is an accepted fact that Americans are enjoying the most lavish life styles in the world. Majority of the people in America may have their own vehicles and they use it for their traveling needs. In other words, Americans may not walk even a single kilometer if they wanted to go somewhere. Moreover, busy life styles prevented them from engaging in any physical work outs or playing some games. Majority of the leisure times are spent in front of the computers by the Americans. The increasing popularity of social networks and the availability of easy to use communication tools such as palmtop, laptop, tablet PCs, iPads, mobile phones etc are forcing the Americans to spend more time in front of the computer and internet. In short, mental or verbal exercises are increasing among Americans whereas physical exercises are decreasing. Thus, extra energy consumed through excessive foods may become deposited in the body rather than burning it out through physical exercises. The line between being in and out of energy balance is slight. Suppose you consume a mere 5 percent over a 2,000-calorie-a-day average. "That's just one hundred calories; it's a glass of apple juice," says Rudolph Leibel, head of molecular genetics at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. "But those few extra calories can mean a huge weight gain." Since one pound of body weight is roughly equivalent to 3,500 calories, that glass of juice adds up to an extra 10 pounds (five kilograms) over a year (Newman). Many Americans do not have proper knowledge about the ingredients in the foods they consume. They might say that they are taking only few cups of juices or other energy drinks every day. They don’t know how much calories are present in such drinks. Even a small cup of energy drinks may contain hundreds of calories. Americans have a habit of consuming fruit drinks and other energy drinks when they feel thirsty. Instead of drinking ample fresh water, they drink juices and other energy drinks and contributing heavily to their obesity related problems. In some cases, psychological or emotional problems can lead towards over eating. People may develop a habit of releasing their frustrations in the form of attacking of foods. It should be noted that while spending lengthy hours in front of the computers, Americans often consume different types of snacks and beverages. All these food items contain huge volumes of fat and subsequently obesity related problems can be increased. Fast food culture is increasing everywhere in the world at present and America also not an exception. Majority of the people prefer tastes rather than nutrition while selecting their food items. Fast foods are tastier than other food items because of the increased fat contents. Current generation are more interested in enjoying tastier foods rather than thinking in terms of health problems. The life philosophies are changing day by day and based on that eating habits are also changing. Kitchens became a useless or meaningless place in many of the American houses. In short, changing food habits and life style are contribution substantially to obesity related problems. Many people consider eating as a recreational activity now. when we eat "for fun" which we do a lot of in our society, we typically eat foods which are chemically made to taste very good and also provide a lot of calories but very little bulk and surprisingly little nutrition including some chemicals like transfat which are indigestible. When we eat recreationally (i.e. party down or go to dinner) it is food often ADDED to our usual daily intake. Unfortunately, most of our recreational activities are centered around food. Even bicyclists who go for rides often end up in restaurants eating unhealthy foods (SueW). Majority of the American parents are working professionals and they may not get enough time to spend with their children. In order to compensate for this problem, majority of the parents have a habit of bringing tastier foods to their children when they return from their workplace. Generally, parents do not like thin or lean complexion for their children. Many are of the view that obesity is a symbol of physical health. In short, parents unknowingly spoiling the life of their children by forcing them to over eat quiet regularly. Heredity is another major factor which causes obesity. Obese parents may usually have obese children. If the children of obese parents fail to take enough precautions, they may become obese much easier than others. They may have inherited traits for hunger and thirst. To conclude, there are many reasons for people getting fat. Changing life styles, changing food habits, lack of physical workouts, popularity of fast foods over conventional foods, popularity of internet and computer related modern technologies, etc are some of the major reasons for people getting obese. Reduction of fatty foods is actually causing more harm than good since it prevents the process of ketosis which is required to maintain a healthy body weight. Works Cited Kolbert, Elizabeth. “Why are We So Fat?”. 2009. The New Yorker. July 20, 2009 Web. 13 November 2011. “Why are We So Fat?”. Web. 13 November 2011. Newman, Cathy. “Why are We So Fat?”. Web. 13 November 2011. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0408/feature3/ SueW. “Why are We So Fat?”. Web. 13 November 2011. “U.S. Obesity Trends”. 2011. Centers for disease control and prevention. Web. 13 November 2011. Read More