subject: Weight Loss - The Western Diet And The Rise In Obesity [print this page] There has been a lot of medical research into the increase of obesity of people in the USA and the UK. Since the end of the Second World War people in Western countries have increased in weight, size and shape. Ironically, nutritional foods have become more widely available since the end if the war. Before then, the war caused many restrictions. You would have thought that having more foods with a higher nutritional value would have resulted in people having a healthier body weight. However, there are two main causes that have increased the propensity of people becoming more overweight and obese. These two causes can be linked to peoples lifestyles and diet.
The other trends that have happened since the Second World War is the increase of refined and processed foods. The problem with these foods is that they have a very high fat and sodium content. They also contain a lot of chemicals and preservatives. These foods have become ever more popular due to the way society has changed. With past generations it was mostly the men who would be out at work all day while the wife stayed indoors to look after the house, children and prepare the meals. This situation started to change about 30 years ago. Nowadays, there is usually no one in the house during the day. The majority of husbands and wives or male and female partners now work in a full time job. At the end of the day they either have no time or energy to prepare or cook a meal. A micro wave dinner solves that problem.
Another way our lives have changed is in the way are children understood food. In generations past children had a greater understanding of where food originated from. They would see their mother prepare the food which would be in a raw state from vegetables to meat. Todays generation of children see food from a completely different perspective. Modern kids see their food either coming from a box or a metal container. The food is already prepared which makes their knowledge of it very limited.
These convenience foods that are now becoming the mainstay of the Western diet are high in fat and include next to no nutritional value whatsoever. There must be a change in the way that people are eating or else there are going to be serious health issues for many people in the future. We must move away from diet of processed and convenience foods and eat a healthier diet. The most natural way to eat food is in its raw form. Natural foods are best for the body because they are highly nutritious and low in fat.
Always seek a doctors advice if you have a medical condition or food allergy before changing your diet.
