If you grew up in the 70s, you probably remember some of the outdoor fun we all used to enjoy. It seems as if people don’t enjoy the outdoors quite as much anymore, but there is something else that has changed as well.
When you went to the beach in the 1970s, you would see a lot of different people and the way they looked was diverse. What seemed to be the same in almost every case, however, is the fact that people at the beach were lean and active.
If you move ahead to today’s beach scene, however, things have changed. Obesity has skyrocketed in the United States and elsewhere around the world, hiding the thin bodies that are underneath.
A simple look into the past can show you that things have changed drastically over the years. This is true when it comes to the diet that most people eat, which does make a difference in the way that we look.
Most people in the 1970s would cook their own meals and it was rare for them to go out to eat. Processed foods are also not as popular. There were some TV dinners and a few fast-food restaurants, but they were few and far between. In addition, the portion sizes have grown drastically over the years.
Something else that made a difference in the way people looked back then was the level of physical activity they engaged in. These days, we tend to stay inside on our computers or play video games, so we may have a limited amount of physical activity during the day.
Late in the 20th century, things began to change when processed foods became more popular. Around the same time, the food industry saw how profitable fast food could be, so the number of fast food chains grew as well.
Unhealthy ingredients in our diet also added to this problem. Hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and a lot of ingredients we can’t pronounce are often the biggest items in the foods that we eat. Foods became cheaper but they also became less healthy.
The food industry also began targeting children and adults who were busy raising them. They made it look as if these unhealthy choices were the right choice for the family, so products just continued to sell faster and faster. That type of aggressive marketing and the convenience that fast food gives to us made unhealthy foods the staple in most diets.
As a result of these changes, obesity has skyrocketed out of control. Health problems that are associated with obesity, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure are also serious issues to consider as well.
It is going to take more than just a simple article to address this problem. Campaigns that focus on public awareness and education can teach people how eating a balanced diet and avoiding processed foods can make a difference.
These campaigns can be focused on the family and especially children, who tend to be the focus of many of those unhealthy food campaigns at this time.
Even making individual choices can make a difference. By limiting our portion sizes, increasing our physical activity and changing the types of foods that we eat, we can make a difference.