Why Americans Are Still Overweight and Unhealthy

Americans continue to gain weight. Not only in adults, but the obesity problem is causing concern for children's health. The percentage of children with type II (adult onset) diabetes has increased by 30% in the past decade and 10% of the children in the U.S. now have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

We were told decades ago that fat is bad and to cut back on the amount of fat we eat, yet the country continues to be overweight and obese and it continues to get worse. Many try to argue that we did cut back on fats and we still got fatter.

But that is wrong, we never did cut back on fat, we continued to eat more and more fat. But the fat comes in the form of vegetable oils. 

And vegetable oil consumption has been on the rise for these past few decades as we became an overweight country. What was said to be a low-fat diet was actually 30% fat from calories. That was and is not a low-fat way to eat.

Americans cannot seem to say no to unhealthy food, and if something isn't done soon, by 2050, more than 60% of the 35-year-olds will be obese in America.

We Have an Overwhelming Choices of Unhealthy Foods

It is not only too many calories, but it is also the empty calories and where the calories come from like the chemically added processed foods that contain few nutrients and soda pop drinks. A homemade chocolate cake has more nutritional value than many of the processed foods sold today.

The 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines says that the current average American diet bears little resemblance to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines that they recommended five years previous. 

The new Dietary Guidelines concludes that Americans still eat too much saturated and solid fats, sugar, refined grains, and too many calories. Americans don’t eat enough dietary fiber or foods that contain vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Even though this report is very lengthy, it appears there are some clear answers to why Americans are still gaining weight and the percentage of overweight and obese children and adults continues to climb. 

Below are some eye-opening statistics that will probably explain just why Americans are still becoming overweight, obese and still gaining weight.

The amount of available food continues to increase. This does not mean the amount of carrots or broccoli is increasing, it means the number of foods that aren’t great for our health or waistlines is increasing.

Go into any grocery store and you are overwhelmed at the choices of processed foods. Foods that are loaded with chemicals, oil, and calories and void of healthy fiber. 

Many of these foods are so unhealthy, that they had to add in the vitamins and nutrient that were lost during the processing. And these added vitamins are usually made in China and inferior to the natural vitamins and nutrients that were present in these foods in the first place.

More Calories Equals an Overweight America

The average daily calories for Americans have increased from 2,057 in 1970 to 2,674 calories per day in 2008. Since 3,500 calories equal 1 pound, this is an extra pound every 5.67 days or 64 extra pounds gained per year compared to 1970

The increased availability of added vegetable oils and fats - this is added fat and is not the natural fats in meat or dairy - has increased from 56 pounds per person in 1970 to 87 pounds per person in 2008, a 56% increase in added fats, mainly in processed foods. 

 

These fats are mainly from vegetable oils like canola oil, olive oil, soybean oil and other types of vegetable oils. These oils are present in almost every single processed food item we buy at the grocery store.

These added vegetable oils are probably the main reason for the increase in the obesity rate. Protein and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, while fat (oils) have 9 calories per gram, adding few nutrients to the diet. Oil is entirely made up of fat.

The availability of added sugars and sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup to our foods and drinks has increased 15% since 1970 to 136 pounds per person in 2008. 

 

High fructose corn syrup seems to be in almost every food we buy and it is just like sugar and could actually be worse for us when it comes to gaining weight and fatty liver disease.

Since 1984, the availability of soft drinks has increased from 39 gallons per person per year to 47 gallons per person a year.

As you can see in the following chart, the types of food with the largest increase in availability were the added fats, oils, and flour and cereal products with calories from vegetables decreasing. 

 

The flour and cereal products they mention are mostly from the white or refined flour bad carbs. All values are in calories.

Food Groups	1970	1990	2008
Dairy	155	260	257
Fruits	71	85	87
Vegetables	125	126	122
Meat, eggs, and nuts	463	453	482
Flour and cereal products	432	573	625
Caloric sweeteners	402	446	459
Added fats and oils	403	446	616
Other dairy fats	6	15	25

Source: ERS Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System

Along with the increased availability of food, so has the number of restaurants increased. Between 1972 and 1995, the number of restaurants increased by 89% while the number of fast food places increased by 147%.

With all the new processed foods with their high levels of sodium, chemicals and the lack of real food in them, it is no wonder we have become such an overweight country.

The Lack of Fiber is a Health Problem

 

Most Americans diet consists of too few high fiber foods. Eating a diet high in fiber is not only healthy but can help in losing weight and prevent certain cancers and diseases. 

The fear of carbohydrates has led many to avoid eating carbohydrates to avoid eating healthy foods like potatoes, whole grain foods, vegetables, and fruit.

The lack of fiber also contributes to a poor digestive system and numerous digestive problems. As the country's eating habits continue to worsen, the number of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease continue to rise. 

 A number of studies believe this has occurred because of the lack of healthy gut bacteria, due to poor diets. 

The Answer to the Overweight Problem

Americans need to learn how to eat healthy, but with so many contradictory studies and conflicting information from doctors, it isn't easy. Americans need to learn how to say no to unhealthy food. That would be a healthy start. 

The latest USDA food pyramid is urging Americans to eat less sugar, less bad fats, and less meat, and to start eating more beans, whole carbohydrates, vegetables and fruit and to replace animal foods with proteins from foods like legumes, beans and other plant foods that are high in protein.

With past food pyramids seemingly failing and the overweight and obesity problem increasing, the recent government report is also hinting for us to switch to a more plant-based diet like the Mediterranean diet or a vegetarian diet. 

More and more studies are showing that a plant-based whole food diet is the healthiest diet.

About the Author

Sam Montana is a certified Food Over Medicine instructor from the Wellness Forum Health Center and certified in optimal nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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