Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
But no one (or very few) before the Industrial Revolution had to practice portion control - we humans actually have a genetic pre-disposition to stay at a healthy weight for the most part without any particular self-control or an iron will, quite the opposite of what most people think. Something has changed in the last coupla hundred years that triggers obesity genes to come into play, or causes slender genes to be masked.
I don't think eating all natural, unprocessed foods as an adult will make a huge difference to every one, but I've known quite a few who came down to a healthy weight doing so. Probably like so many other things, the best chance for it to work is if done in the first five years of life.
No one pre-industry had to practice it because pre-industry people were out working the fields, chopping log with real axes, using hand-mowers without gasoline, riding horses or walking to church. There were no subways, there were no cars. People did a lot of PHYSICAL work that burned a lot of calories, and when they ate, they were replenishing what they had burned off, or preparing for the next day's physical chores.
There weren't vacuum cleaners then either, or washing machines or dryers. People used wash tubs and hand-wringers, and put clothes out on the line to dry.
People are obese now, because they aren't doing any of that, but are now eating bigger portions of food. Food is also much more varied than it was, because this country has more of a variety of people from different cultures living in it. Pre-industry, you couldn't go for tex-mex. Pre-industry, you couldn't drive six blocks to the all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. Pre-industry, there was no double-cheese-stuffed extra-bacon pizza delivered right to your home in under 10 minutes. Pre-industry, there were no Twinkies. Pre-industry, you couldn't get a shwarma at the local Syrian joint.
Pre-industry, there was no TV, and therefore no TV dinners.
Pre-industry, many Americans starved to death, because pre-industry, there were no food stamps, no welfare, no Unions, no minimum wage, no OSHA, no homeless shelters, no food pantries, no Social Services.
Comparing modern food choices to the years before the Industrial Revolution is like comparing a fish with a piano.
But no one (or very few) before the Industrial Revolution had to practice portion control - we humans actually have a genetic pre-disposition to stay at a healthy weight for the most part without any particular self-control or an iron will, quite the opposite of what most people think. Something has changed in the last coupla hundred years that triggers obesity genes to come into play, or causes slender genes to be masked.
I don't think eating all natural, unprocessed foods as an adult will make a huge difference to every one, but I've known quite a few who came down to a healthy weight doing so. Probably like so many other things, the best chance for it to work is if done in the first five years of life.
The obesity epidemic is much younger than a couple hundred years. Rates started to rise significantly after the 1970's and coincides with the introduction of fast food, high fructose corn syrup, low-fiber processed foods, high glycemic carbs and other such things that fall under the umbrella of "junk food". IMO it has nothing to do with genes, and everything to do with the way junk food is engineered to keep us eating it in large quantities and coming back for more.
It's no surprise to me that when people get off junk food and move to unprocessed foods high in protein and fiber and low in sugar and carbs, they lose weight. It's not as much that they are eating lower calorie foods. It's because unprocessed food isn't designed to make people over-eat it. Junk food is. Don't believe me, ask yourself this question. When was the last time you heard someone say, "Oh, keep that broccoli away from me. Once I start eating it, I can't stop!"
It's why the idea that weight loss is just calories and portion control is completely unrealistic for many people. If a person is trying to control their portions but still eating food that causes the body to crave and over-eat, you're just rowing against the current. Ultimately, you will tire and fail.
Are there some people genetically pre-disposed for weight gain? Sure. But those people were always there, and a "fat gene" is not the phenomenon that caused huge percentages of Americans to suddenly get fat 40 years ago. For that, you can thank Swansons, McDonalds, Frito-Lay, General Mills, Hostess and all their counterparts in the food industry.
Genes play a part in obesity shocker, it does not take a genius to figure that one out. Next they will be telling how trust fund kids were born with a lot of money, you don't say lol?????
No one pre-industry had to practice it because pre-industry people were out working the fields, chopping log with real axes, using hand-mowers without gasoline, riding horses or walking to church. There were no subways, there were no cars. People did a lot of PHYSICAL work that burned a lot of calories, and when they ate, they were replenishing what they had burned off, or preparing for the next day's physical chores.
There weren't vacuum cleaners then either, or washing machines or dryers. People used wash tubs and hand-wringers, and put clothes out on the line to dry.
People are obese now, because they aren't doing any of that, but are now eating bigger portions of food. Food is also much more varied than it was, because this country has more of a variety of people from different cultures living in it. Pre-industry, you couldn't go for tex-mex. Pre-industry, you couldn't drive six blocks to the all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. Pre-industry, there was no double-cheese-stuffed extra-bacon pizza delivered right to your home in under 10 minutes. Pre-industry, there were no Twinkies. Pre-industry, you couldn't get a shwarma at the local Syrian joint.
Pre-industry, there was no TV, and therefore no TV dinners.
Pre-industry, many Americans starved to death, because pre-industry, there were no food stamps, no welfare, no Unions, no minimum wage, no OSHA, no homeless shelters, no food pantries, no Social Services.
Comparing modern food choices to the years before the Industrial Revolution is like comparing a fish with a piano.
Exactly! The rise in obesity starting in the 70's also coincides with the rise of technology assisted labor saving appliances and leisure activities that involve siting. Before the 60's/70's, your average American household didn't have labor saving appliances in their houses like microwaves, washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, electric mixers, electric drills/saws etc. When dad wanted to repair something or mom wanted to do laundry or cook, it was all manual scrubbing, screwing, sawing, stirring, etc. The amount of calories your average person probably burned in a day just doing the normal tasks of life without automation is probably at least 2 to 3 times what we burn now doing the same tasks. Heck, when my parents were kids, they still had to walk outside to the outhouse until they finally got indoor plumbing sometime in the 60's. Before the 70's, most households only had one car so if Mom wanted to run errands she walked wherever she needed to go. She didn't have a car, so the kids got to walk to/from school instead of getting a ride.
As far as leisure activities go, households started getting TVs in the 50's but until the 80's they only had 3 channels so people only watched at most a couple of hours of TV per day. It wasn't until the very late 70's/80's that your average household started getting video game systems, which kept the kids inside sitting instead of outside playing and it got much worse starting in the mid/late 90's when your average household could now afford a computer in order to spend even more leisure time sitting.
Our problem as a society is that life is physically much easier now than it was before the 70's, but we didn't cut back our calorie consumption to compensate. It caught up with us, slowly at first, much faster by the 80's/90's as we can see from the rapid rise in obesity rates here and all over the world.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
