On Wednesday, a new study published in JAMA by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle projected that by 2035, nearly half of all American adults, about 126 million individuals, will be living with obesity.
The study draws on data from more than 11 million participants via the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and from the independent Gallup Daily Survey.
The projections show a striking increase in the prevalence of obesity over the past few decades in the U.S. In 1990, only 19.3% of U.S. adults were obese, according to the study. That figure more than doubled to 42.5% by 2022, and is forecast to reach 46.9% by 2035.
Low quality, high carb food is profitable. Our western diet is built around a carb diet. While approximately half the population does fairly well, weight wise, the other half does not because their bodies preferentially store carb calories as fat. That said I struggled with my weight although I was very active. Due to health issues I switched to a low carb diet more like the one I grew up with - mostly protein, high fat ( good fats like fatty fish, nuts, butter, olive oil and coconut oil), and reasonable amounts of complex carbohydrates. Weigh came off without exercise or any other effort. BTW, the calories in, the calories out approach is just plain wrong. Carbs MAKE you hungry.
You only have one shot at this life so why would you burden yourself lugging around 50 pounds, 100 pounds or more everywhere you go.