The Obesigenic Environment - 10 Modern Conveniences That Make Us Fat

Have you noticed your waistline expanding in the past few years? You are not alone. The proportion of U.S. adults who are overweight has increased over 40% since 1960, with most of this increase occurring in the last 20 years. Currently, over two thirds of adults are overweight, and almost half of that number are considered obese.

Why the weight?

The obesity epidemic is not due to changing genetics. The gene pool cannot change appreciably over such a short period of time, and the epidemic is occurring in every racial group. Nor is it due to an aging population, as it is apparent in every age bracket, including children. Rather, it is primarily due to a sedentary lifestyle, and an average adult consumption of 250 Calories per day more than 30 years ago. More than 90% of these added calories are from quickly digesting carbohydrates such as sugars, refined flour, and potatoes. We can blame this overeating on the temptations and unhealthful foods in our obesigenic (obesity-promoting) environment. Many of the foods we eat actually leave us dissatisfied and craving more, causing us to eat more than we would in a more natural environment.

Our ancestors generally enjoyed a diet consisting mostly of minimally processed vegetables, fruits, and/or whole grains. Meats were unprocessed and lean. Such a diet, combined with a physically active lifestyle, promoted a strong, slender, healthy body. Foods available in the modern, obesigenic environment, in contrast, tend to be highly processed with added fats and sugars. Obtaining, preparing, and eating food in our modern society requires relatively little effort, and we are frequently in situations that encourage us to overeat. Here are some aspects of our obesigenic environment that encourage overeating.

1. Foods that don't satisfy. Processing and addition of sugars produces calorie-dense, low-nutrient, low-fiber foods that digest quickly, leaving you with a load of calories, a soon-empty stomach, and cravings for more.

2. Foods that are unnaturally tempting. With added sugars and fats, and artificially enhanced flavors and textures, many processed foods taste unnaturally good. Such foods are called "highly palatable" by nutritionists. Sugars and flavors in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other natural foods are there to encourage us to eat enough to meet our nutritional and caloric needs. Or, to say it another way, we are genetically programmed to respond to the natural flavors and sugars in foods by eating enough to meet our immediate needs, and no more. When our stomachs have filled sufficiently, the feelings of satisfaction overcome the temptations of natural flavors and sweetness, and we stop eating. When foods are artificially made to be extremely palatable, however, the satisfaction of a full stomach is often insufficient to overcome the temptations of taste. We either make a conscious (and often difficult) decision to stop eating, or we "make room" for more. Think of the difference between apples and ice cream. They both taste good, but we are much more likely to overeat when faced with ice cream than with apples. Eating gives us pleasure. The greater the pleasure, the more effort is required to stop eating. Temptations to overindulge can often be avoided by savoring such foods slowly in small controlled portions.

3. Calorie-heavy foods. While the vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains that our ancestors dined on were high in nutrients and low in calories, the processed foods we are faced with are just the opposite -- high in calories and low in nutrients. This means that a "normal" sized meal of modern processed foods has more calories than we need, and often too few nutrients. Calorie-heavy (or "energy dense") foods are believed to be a major culprit in the obesity epidemic.

4. Foods that are visible, inexpensive, and convenient. Food is in view and at your fingertips almost everywhere you go. With relatively low prices, and conveniently packaged foods ready to eat, it is all too easy to consume too much. We see candy jars at work, cookie jars at home, and vending machines as we run errands. Merely seeing enticingly presented food can make us hungry. Unhealthful, enticing foods are readily available and convenient. We have sodas in the refrigerator, and packaged snacks in the pantry. Food within convenient reach tends to be eaten more than food that requires even a little more effort to obtain.

5. Large portions. In the U.S., portion sizes of many calorie-dense foods have increased 2-5-fold since the 1970s. We tend to keep eating until the portion in front of us is gone, no matter what its size. Similarly, eating directly out of a package (such as a bag of potato chips) can lead us to eat more than we would if we were served a smaller portion in a separate container.

6. Sedentary entertainment. Television, video games, card games and movies burn very few calories and often encourage needless eating. We often have television on during meals, or snack while we are watching television, reading, or studying. In such situations, the distraction of viewing or reading can cause us to continue eating past the point where we would otherwise be satisfied.

7. Convenient substitutes for water. Sweetened and alcoholic beverages, such as soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, juices, and beer are readily available in our homes and elsewhere. Consumption of such beverages is believed to be a major contributor to the recent increase in excess weight in the United States. Drinking such beverages instead of water quickly adds calories without lasting satisfaction.

8. Deceptive labels and advertising. A picture of a slender athlete on a package of broccoli might make sense. The same picture on a "granola bar" consisting mostly of corn syrup and puffed rice does not. Advertisements often give us an inaccurate perception of the health benefits or risks of the foods they are promoting.

9. Unhealthful snacks foods. Foods eaten as snacks provide a disproportionate number of calories for their nutrient value when compared to food eaten during meals. Popular snacks, such as sweetened beverages and grain-based salty snacks, tend to be high in refined carbohydrates and low in fiber and other nutrients. They are quick to add calories but slow to satisfy.

10. Restaurants. We eat out more than we did 30 years ago. Restaurant food tends to be more processed, higher calorie, and served in larger portions, than food cooked at home; and there are so many delicious options to choose from. As a result, restaurant meals often leave us with enough calories for an entire day.

What can be done?

Changing your personal environment to eliminate or reduce these aspects can help you to lose excess weight and keep it off. Permanent weight loss requires permanent lifestyle corrections. Such corrections can naturally produce a more slender and functional body.

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