Obesity In America Essay

That there is an obesity epidemic in America and the western world in general is not in doubt, but there is neither single nor simple answer as to why. It is obvious that in the US, as elsewhere, many things contribute to those ever-expanding waistlines of the population.

It can all be broken down into elements such as genetics, environment nature and nurture, the environmental aspect being simply that the majority of folks these days get far less exercise than they did after say, WWII.

The average working man used to have a job dominated by physical activity, but such work has largely been replaced with much more sedentary employment, meaning that lack of exercise combined with normal eating easily translates to excess weight as time goes by.

People should, realistically, be eating far,less, but the reality is more than ever

There are those who conveniently blame a so-called fat gene.

An element of inherited, increased risk factor for obesity does exist in some cases, researchers having identified a gene increasing the propensity to obesity by 23% on average, but even proof that you are a carrier of this genetic problem, rest assured that the actual effects of the gene are far less influential than lifestyle and diet.

It appears that a mere one hour each week of moderate to vigorous activity cuts the fat gene effect by30%. So far from being genetically doomed to a life of obesity and unable to lose weight, bulky individuals can indeed control what they eat, and what exercise they get, and thus control their weight.

Most people are perfectly capable of losing lose weight by following any sensible diet, remembering that snacking behaviour is often subconscious, most people unaware of how much they are truly eating, or how often until they start to monitor