The Honest, Terrifying Truth Why America Keeps Getting Fatter and Sicker (8 reasons)
There are a number of reasons why America is the most obese country in the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of American adults are obese.
This is an alarming statistic, considering the many health risks that are associated with obesity.
8 reasons why America is so fat:
We don't have a good relationship with food.
We live in a society that is increasingly sedentary.
Our culture is obsessed with thinness.
We have easy access to high-calorie foods + processed food.
We have larger portion sizes than we used to.
We eat out more often than we used to.
We don’t get enough exercise.
We consume too many sugary drinks.
We have an obesity epidemic in our country.
What determines if someone is fat?
Fatness can be measured by BMI or body mass index. BMI is measured by weight and height.
A BMI above 30 is considered obese, while a BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight.
The United States has the highest average BMI of any OECD country at 28.8. This is largely due to the high availability of processed foods and lack of exercise opportunities in the country.
To be fat in America means to be at the bottom of the social totem pole. It means to be belittled, to be made fun of, and to be ignored. And it’s not just the overweight people who suffer; their families and friends do, too.
Digging deep into why America keeps getting fatter
The rates of obesity in the United States have skyrocketed. Not only in adults, but in children as well. It's become an epidemic. Folks are struggling to lose weight.
Maybe you or someone you know have tried diet plans like keto or healthy eating that wasn't sustainable. While health and wellness are directly tied to weight maintenance, that's easier said than done.
Understanding why Americans are so fat can help people target the issue with daily independent lifestyle choices.
We don't have a healthy relationship with food
We have an unhealthy relationship with food, made toxic by diet culture, Instagram influencers, European beauty standards, societal expectations, and commentary from both friends and strangers alike who don't know how to mind their business.
Instead of using food as fuel or nourishment, we use it as a way to cope with our emotions.
When we're happy, we celebrate with food.
When we're sad, we comfort ourselves with food.
When we're bored, we eat out of boredom.
This emotional eating can lead to years of yo-yo dieting and an unhealthy relationship with our bodies. We abuse it and use it wrongly.
In reality, we are only hurting ourselves.
We make ourselves overweight through excessive sitting
We are too sedentary and it's become the norm, especially since Covid-19. Nowadays, we have a number of meal-delivery services to choose from.
We can even have our groceries delivered. With gas prices through the roof, why go out to run errands when you don't have to?
Most professional buildings have elevators and the "American Dream" for most has been boiled down to a stuffy 9 to 5 stuck at a desk in a cubicle.
We sit too much.
We are used to it.
We are actively destroying our bodies through lavish laziness.
We are a society that loves to sit down. We sit at our desks at work, in front of the TV at home, and even when we're out socializing, we tend to do it while sitting down.
This lack of movement not only contributes to weight gain, but it also leads to a host of other health problems.
Society is obsessed with thinness
People struggle with weight loss because we have an unhealthy relationship with our bodies. We are constantly bombarded with messages that tell us that we need to lose weight, that we're not good enough the way we are.
These messages lead to body dissatisfaction and can make it very difficult for people to see their own worth.
When you don't love and appreciate your body, it's very hard to take care of it the way you should.
Falling on the spectrum of what society considers fat, can lead to bigger, more long-term issues, like body dysmorphia.
This often applies to people who have a healthy BMI but have been led to believe they are overweight.
People with obesity can also develop body dysmorphia.
A note about body dysmorphia
Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition that causes a person to fixate on (imaginary) flaws in their appearance.
People with body dysmorphia may obsessively compare themselves to others, scrutinize their reflection for hours, and feel deeply ashamed of their appearance.
The condition can be extremely distressing and make it difficult for sufferers to live a normal life.
In severe cases, body dysmorphia can lead to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Although the exact cause of body dysmorphia is unknown, it is thought to be related to a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Oftentimes, people develop problems with their body shape/size and self-image because of the constant scrutiny they receive from loved ones and strangers alike.
First, society tells us that we should be thin, and that being fat is bad. This can lead to feelings of shame and low self-esteem.
Additionally, seeing thin people in the media can make us feel like we need to lose weight in order to be considered attractive. This can lead to an unhealthy obsession with our weight and our bodies.
Finally, body dysmorphia can also be caused by medical conditions such as obesity or eating disorders. These conditions can distort our perception of our bodies, making us see ourselves as larger or heavier than we actually are.
As a result, we may become fixated on losing weight, even if it means putting our health at risk.
Fast food is taking over the world: addictive, high in calories, 0 nutrition 🍟
The fast food industry is one of the biggest contributors to the obesity epidemic.
In the United States, fast food restaurants are everywhere. They're convenient, they're cheap, and they're open late.
Places like McDonald’s serve their ‘regulars’ multiple times per week. Many customers are mostly unaware of how terrible it is for them, wreaking havoc from the inside out.
Zero nutrition, high in fat, sugar, cholesterol, you name it. Tasty, addictive, and leaves you hungry and wanting more since the food is devoid of any nutrition.
I recently watched ‘Supersize Me’ for the first time in years, and was flabbergasted at a select few things.
In most locations, nutritional information is impossible to get ahold of, or not provided at all, even upon request.
The majority of regular patrons of McDonald’s visit a few times per week.
Most patrons opt to “Supersize,” meaning they get the largest portion of their order available.
There are few things with no sugar in them. One of them was the diet coke. (And by the way, even the salad has sugar in it — like what?)
Most fast food chains have menu items that are specifically designed to be addictive.
For example, McDonald's French Fries are coated in a mixture of salt, sugar, and MSG.
This combination of flavors is known to be highly addictive, and it's one of the reasons why people keep coming back for more.
In addition to being addictive, fast food is also very high in calories. A single meal from a fast food restaurant can contain upwards of 1,000 calories.
This is significantly more than the average person needs in a day, and it can quickly lead to weight gain.
What's more, fast food is often lacking in nutrients. It's typically high in fat, sugar, and sodium, but low in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
This nutrient imbalance can lead to a host of health problems, including obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (which by the way, is proven reversible with a whole foods vegan diet!)
So, why is America so fat? One big reason is our unhealthy relationship with food.
We're bombarded with messages that tell us we need to lose weight, and we're surrounded by fast food restaurants that sell addictive, high-calorie meals.
If we want to improve our health, we need to learn to love and appreciate our bodies, and make better choices when it comes to our diet.
Only then can we hope to turn the tide on the obesity epidemic.
We can’t stop eating; overeating, that is.
The portion sizes in America are disgusting. One restaurant dish could make four servings.
We’re not just talking about restaurants, but also grocery stores. Big department stores like Costco sell everything in bulk. The sizes are unreal.
Plus, we’re eating too much meat.
The average American eats between 4-5 ounces of meat per day. That might not seem like a lot, but it adds up.
If you consider that the recommended serving size for meat is 3 ounces, then we’re eating about 1-2 ounces of extra meat every day.
This might not seem like a big deal, but it can add up to an extra 10-20 pounds of weight gain per year!
The quantity of food is out of control.
It’s what we are accustomed to.
We keep eating when we’re satiated because it tastes so dang good. We eat past satiation until we’re full, stuffed, bloated…in a food coma.
Then, we somehow make room for dessert.
And maybe indulge in a midnight snack before bed.
What else is the body to do besides stretch itself to eternity?
We eat out more often than we used to
In the past, families would sit down to a home-cooked meal together every night.
Nowadays, however, it's not uncommon for families to eat out several times a week.
This is partially due to the fact that we're busier than ever before.
Between work, school, and extracurricular activities, it can be tough to find time to cook a healthy meal.
As a result, we often rely on fast food or takeout as a quick and easy solution.
This convenience comes at a cost, however. Studies have shown that people who eat out more often are more likely to be overweight or obese than those who eat at home.
One reason for this is that restaurant meals tend to be high in calories and low in nutrients.
Another reason is that we're more likely to overeat when we eat out.
When we're at home, we're more likely to be aware of how much food we're eating and stop when we're full.
If you want to lose weight or improve your health, one of the best things you can do is cook more meals at home.
Eating out less often will help you consume fewer calories, and cooking at home gives you more control over the ingredients in your food.
Plus, it can be a lot cheaper than eating out all the time!
We're obsessed with sugary drinks 🥤
Stop drinking your calories!
Sugary drinks are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. In fact, they may be even more harmful than sugary food.
The average household in America consumes a lot of Coca Cola products.
And the average American drinks approximately 57 gallons of soda per year. That's equivalent to nearly 17,000 sugar packets!
Or, about 2,000 cans of Coke.
One can of Coke contains 39 grams of sugar, which is the equivalent of 10 teaspoons. The recommended daily intake of sugar is around 6-9 teaspoons for men and women respectively.
This means that if you’re drinking one can of Coke a day, you’re consuming about double the amount of sugar you should be.
And it doesn’t stop there. Many people drink more than one can of soda a day, or they add other sugary drinks to their diet such as
fruit juices
sweetened coffee
and energy drinks
One study found that people who regularly consume sugary drinks are 26% more likely to be obese than those who don't drink them.
Another study found that sugary drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet.
If you want to lose weight or improve your health, one of the best things you can do is cut back on sugary drinks.
Replace soda, slushies, energy drinks, and fruit juices with water or unsweetened tea or coffee. You'll be cutting out a lot of sugar and empty calories, and you'll be on your way to a healthier weight.
We don’t like to move, but exercise saves lives
Diet programs and supplements have dominated the market. But people are still outrageously overweight, and getting fatter by the day.
Why aren’t all these “miracle” programs working?
I know they do for many, but obviously, obesity hasn’t gone away despite all these new innovations.
Going to the gym has become commonplace, but we are still fat as an entity.
Where are we going wrong?
Targeting overweight people has transformed into a billion-dollar industry.
I know there is no one thing that works, and in a world of endless options, many of which require large sums of money or investments, it’s impossible to choose.
Many work and many don’t.
The fact is, we have to move our bodies.
It’s the only way to lose weight and keep it off for good.
You can diet all you want, but if you don’t incorporate physical activity into your weight-loss plan, then you’re not going to see lasting results.
In a country where two-thirds of the population is considered overweight or obese, it’s clear that something needs to be done.
And it starts with each individual making better choices when it comes to their diet and lifestyle.
If we can do that, then we can start to turn the tide on the obesity epidemic in America.
The cost of nutritious food vs. unhealthy food
And we’re not even talking about organic here, folks.
We are talking about fresh produce vs. Oreos.
I know, not the perfect comparison.
But when we look at the cost of unhealthy foods vs. universally accepted healthy foods like whole grains, produce, etc, the price discrepancy is staggering.
How is a financially struggling family of four with two working parents going to feed their kids and make them full?
When they are living paycheck to paycheck?
Rely on EBT?
Live in a food desert?
Lack access to education about food?
Are unable to cook?
Are fat?
When it’s about survival, convenience, and cost, health is not a part of the equation.
Getting full is.
There are variables. I know that. But healthy, fit, ‘conscious and aware’ people who shame these folks don’t really know what it’s like to be in their shoes.
I don’t either, but I’ve studied it extensively, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.
How can people make healthier choices when there are so many barriers?
It’s not that simple.
We need to do better as a society to make nutritious food more accessible and affordable for everyone.
And we need to destigmatize obesity so people feel comfortable making changes to their lifestyle without judgment.
Will America keep getting fatter? 🍕
It’s hard to say.
There are so many factors at play when it comes to weight and obesity.
But one thing is for sure – if we don’t make some serious changes, the obesity epidemic in America is only going to get worse.
We need to collectively step up!
We need to find ways to make healthy eating more affordable and accessible for everyone.
We need to destigmatize obesity and help people feel comfortable making changes to their lifestyles.
And we need to encourage people to move their bodies more.
If we can do all of that, then maybe, just maybe, we can help tame the obesity epidemic in America.
Looking to learn more about nutrition?
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