What is being called an "obesity epidemic" is the result of many factors including the environment we live in, lifestyle behaviors, and familial tendencies toward becoming overweight. However, because such significant increases in overweight and obesity have occurred in a relatively short time (20 years), we must carefully consider how our environment and eating and physical activity behaviors have changed. These are some trends that have altered how we eat and how we move:
  • How We Eat
    • Food options and selections have expanded
    • More fast-foods and pre-packaged foods provide easy and quick access to meals, snacks, and calories
    • Soft-drinks and other sweetened beverages have become widely available
    • Portion sizes have grown larger
    • The amount of fat, sugar and calories hidden in foods and beverages has increased
  • The Way We Move
    • Technology has created time and labor saving devices that limit physical activity (for example, automobiles, elevators, escalators, dishwashers, riding lawn mowers, remote controls for televisions, garage door openers, and computers).
    • Fewer people walk or ride bicycles to go short distances.
    • People spend more time participating in sedentary leisure time activities (watching TV, going to movies, playing computer games)
The consequence, for many people, has been energy imbalance and creeping weight gain over time as a result of taking in more calories and burning fewer calories through physical activity.