An Epidemic of Obesity
The number of people who are obese exploded over a dozen years. Dramatic increases in overweight and obesity have occurred in men and women, boys and girls, in less than two decades. Although there is a genetic component to weight, our genes haven't changed that much over this period. What could account for the rapid rise of excess weight?
Key contributors include striking changes in how, and how much, we eat. Shifts in Americans' food practices include:
- An increase in fast food consumption
- A decrease in family meals
- An increase in meal skipping
- An explosion of new and tempting products, on the order of 12,000 per year
- A huge increase in portion sizes
| Food | Portion Sizes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s-1970s | Today | |
| Bottled Beer | 7 ounces | 12, 16, 24 ounces |
| Soda | Regular = 12 ounces Large = 16 ounces |
Small = 16 ounces Large = 32 ounces |
| Hamburger | 3.9 ounces | 4.4 to 12.6 ounces |
| French fries | 2.6 ounces | Small = 2.6 ounces Large = 32 ounces |
| Chocolate bar | 1.6 ounces | 1.6 - 5.0 ounces |
Source: Young and Nestle M. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2003
Shaky foundation for a pyramid
Since it was introduced in 1993 and until it was replaced by a less graphically meaningful image in 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Guide Pyramid was held up as the embodiment of healthy eating.
Unfortunately, this potentially helpful icon isn't firmly based on solid science. The Food Guide Pyramid labels all fats as bad (they aren't—unsaturated fats are good for you), all carbohydrates as good (they aren't—highly refined grains aren't nearly as good for you as whole grains), and promotes consumption of dairy products and red meat (not necessarily elements of healthy eating). What's more, following the advice embodied in the Pyramid and stated in the older Dietary Guidelines for Americans doesn't do much to protect people from chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
In two large, long-term studies of more than 100,000 men and women conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, those who followed the USDA's recommendations gained little protection from major chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer (McCullough and colleagues, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2000).
Those who followed an alternate pattern had significant reductions in chronic disease (McCullough and colleagues, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2002). This pattern included more fruits and vegetables, nuts and soy protein, a higher ratio of poultry and fish to red meat, a higher intake of whole grains (cereal fiber), a lower intake of trans fats, a high ratio of polyunsaturated fats to saturated fats, multivitamin use, and regular moderate alcohol intake.