Why Are Obesity Rates Climbing In The US?

By Grace Manes

Over 70 million adults in the United States are obese. Not just overweight, but obese. In 2018, the prevalence of obesity was 42.4%. The scary truth is that these already high numbers continue to grow each year. In the first half of the 20th century, obesity rates were fairly low and stable. Starting in the 1970s though, the United States began to see a significant increase in obesity that has not slowed down since. While in 1980 only 13.4% of the adult population suffered from obesity, in 2008 34.3% of adults were obese.

The data is jarring and of course raises the question “why is this happening?”. Why has the general population increasingly struggled to maintain a healthy weight over the last 50 years? Unfortunately, there’s not a clear cut answer to this question. While there’s certainly conclusions that can be drawn about likely causes, studies on obesity often have conflicting results. But while there’s still much room for discovery, there’s also many potential sources to consider.

The first likely cause of this increase in obesity is, of course, a response to dietary changes. American culture surrounding food has radically evolved in the last few decades. Not only is eating out a much more common experience, but there’s been a dramatic rise in the popularity and accessibility of fast food. McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in 1945 and was immediately a huge success- making $275,000 by 1951. As more fast food chains popped up in the following decades, such as Wendy’s and Burger King, the demand for such cheap and convenient food continued to grow.

Our society today is radically dependent on fast food. A recent study showed that over 160,000 fast food restaurants fed at least 50 million Americans every day. Such sales generate over $110 billion dollars annually in revenue. For an industry that has been around for less than a century, our level of dependency on it is alarming.

Another way that food culture in the United States has changed is that most Americans now prefer snacks or quick meals rather than sit-down meals. America’s’ fast-paced, career-centered culture has moved people towards prioritizing convenience over quality. Our society stresses the importance of staying busy and accomplished over taking care of yourself. This culture of prioritizing work and success in pursuit of the American dream has taken a toxic turn, which is seen in people’s lack of time and energy to care for their bodies.

The second likely cause is, naturally, a decrease in physical activity. In recent years, many public schools have cut back on or entirely gotten rid of physical education and recess periods. This results in children not only having limited access to physical exercise, but it also cultivates the mindset that physical exercise isn’t a priority. If children are being taught from a young age that physical activity isn’t essential, then it only makes sense that they will struggle with health and fitness issues later on in life.

Additionally, the United States is a heavily car-dependent nation. People no longer walk to school or work, but instead choose to drive for convenience. Unless you live in a place like New York City, walking is rather uncommon. There have been many other societal changes, such as a decrease in factory and field careers, which end up limiting people’s physical activity. As our dependency on technology and the number of stationary jobs continue to grow, people will have to be more deliberate about getting enough exercise in years to come.

Obesity contributes to roughly 112,000 preventable deaths annually. While there are a myriad of reasons why more people in the United States are becoming obese each year, the silver lining is that in most cases obesity is preventable on a personal level. By acknowledging your own habits, you can figure out simple ways to take better care of your body on a daily\ basis. Being intentional about eating nutritional foods and exercising regularly can not only improve your own well-being, but serve as an essential piece of improving the nation’s trend as a whole.

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