Obesity has become a national health problem. This killer disease affects millions of Americans, young and old alike. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, 30% of adults over 20 and 16% of 6 to 19 years olds are significantly overweight. (reference: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm) Disease and health problems are not the only downfall of being obese, low self-esteem and social stigma also come into play. The diet industry has become a $40 billion a year revenue earner. But only a small percentage of dieters will successfully be able to keep the weight off permanently. (reference: http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/advice/20040113a1.asp)
Hundreds, if not thousands, of books have been written trying to help people lose weight. There are probably the same amounts of, if not more, different diet programs available to anyone trying to win the battle of the bulge. There are fruit diets, meat diets, no bread diets, low carbohydrate diets, liquid diets, you name it, there’s probably a diet for almost anything you can think of. There are pills you can take, surgeries you can undergo, hypnosis, acupuncture, not to mention bulimia, and anorexia. Millions of people search every year for the miracle cure. But only a few will be successful.
Why has our society become so overweight? Modern conveniences, like the car, and buses and trains can be partly to blame. Gone are the days where people had to walk to get everywhere. Other conveniences like elevators, and escalators have replaced stairs. Fast food and restaurants that serve meals with enough calories for a whole day are also to blame. Washing machines and automatic clothes dryers have made getting our clothing clean much easier but also have made the work less labor intensive, so too have vacuum cleaners and leaf blowers and lawn mowers.
Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables have been replaced by processed and refined foods, which are higher in calories and lower in vitamins and minerals. Going to the grocery store has replaced gardening and farming for the majority of Americans. All the modern conveniences we enjoy in the 21st century have made our lives easier but have also made our lives busier. We can get more done in a shorter amount of time, so we tend to try to do more. And when we do more, some things tend to take a backseat, namely, our health: eating right and exercise get the short end of the stick.
So is there a miracle cure, a one size fits all diet, or will millions of people keep the diet industry booming for years to come? Explore the articles on our website and visit our sponsors for those answers and more.