> "Humans up until a hundred years ago (or so) had a need to do it."
Actually, the aristocracy and nobility have all suffered from obesity since ancient times. Historical texts have many, many records of... robustly sized... monarchs, nobles, and the rich. Indeed, the image of the rich fat-cat is a lot older than merely the last century.
> "My opinion - food processing and the agricultural revolution. A metabolic derangement caused by overly processed agricultural products."
Or perhaps more simply, the majority of the population stopped doing hard physical labor day in day out. We started sitting behind desks for 8 hours a day instead of toiling in a field or factory for 12.
I'm also willing to believe that we are simply eating more than we used to. In industrialized nations the ratio of food cost to income is almost laughably low - compared to agrarian nations where the cost of food can sometimes be up to half of a family's income. If you look at countries with smaller average serving sizes you will see a corresponding drop in obesity rates.
Thankfully I think the country is starting to come around to the notion that no amount of sodium reduction, fat-reduction, or carb-reduction will work if you continue to shovel it into your mouth by the gobful.
It's become vogue to blame every ill of society on industrialization, when instead the answer seems to be simpler and more obvious.
"Thankfully I think the country is starting to come around to the notion that no amount of sodium reduction, fat-reduction, or carb-reduction will work if you continue to shovel it into your mouth by the gobful."
The things I usually want to shovel in my mouth are carbohydrates, and insulin spikes explain at least part of that. I eat far less when I'm trying to keep my insulin low.
Everyone knows you have to eat less to lose weight. The question is how. Some techniques are more successful than others.
I tend to take this outlook. Almost all forms of calorie restriction works. When I personally point out that a calorie is not a calorie it has everything to do with satiation, motivation and the psychology of what makes people over-eat.
Limiting calories works. Keeping people doing that long enough to lose weight, and the rest of their lives to some degree (so no yo-you dieting) is the true challenge.
My point was that it was not a pandemic level problem up until recently. Of course rich people with access to an abundance of highly palatable foods can become fat. Those aristocrats of old are suffering the same thing many people suffer today.
Edit: I suppose people don't see the connection between over consumption, availability, palatability, and processing.
You just did an about-face. In your first comment, you stress "processed foods"; here you put the emphasis on greater availability.
I think potatolicious makes an excellent point- "processing" (the popular demon today) cannot be pointed to as the sole cause. It is probably part of the problem, but probably not the root.
Fruit comes with fiber, which has suppressing effect on appetite, whereas confectionery items are usually made with pure white flour, which due to insulin spikes actually leads to an increased appetite.
> "Humans up until a hundred years ago (or so) had a need to do it."
Actually, the aristocracy and nobility have all suffered from obesity since ancient times. Historical texts have many, many records of... robustly sized... monarchs, nobles, and the rich. Indeed, the image of the rich fat-cat is a lot older than merely the last century.
> "My opinion - food processing and the agricultural revolution. A metabolic derangement caused by overly processed agricultural products."
Or perhaps more simply, the majority of the population stopped doing hard physical labor day in day out. We started sitting behind desks for 8 hours a day instead of toiling in a field or factory for 12.
I'm also willing to believe that we are simply eating more than we used to. In industrialized nations the ratio of food cost to income is almost laughably low - compared to agrarian nations where the cost of food can sometimes be up to half of a family's income. If you look at countries with smaller average serving sizes you will see a corresponding drop in obesity rates.
Thankfully I think the country is starting to come around to the notion that no amount of sodium reduction, fat-reduction, or carb-reduction will work if you continue to shovel it into your mouth by the gobful.
It's become vogue to blame every ill of society on industrialization, when instead the answer seems to be simpler and more obvious.