Statistics show that the weight of humanity has generally increased over the past decades. Since 1990, the number of obese adults has doubled, and this indicator among adolescents has quadrupled.
In this report published by the Russian website “FBR”, Olga Strelkova said that scientists are looking for reasons that explain why people did not gain weight in the past, despite eating large quantities of food, unlike what is the case now.
Obesity generation
Millions of people around the world are trying to maintain good health and follow a healthy lifestyle to stay fit. However, the situation regarding obesity has not improved.
In 2019, 5 million people died due to being overweight, while more than 2 billion people are currently overweight or obese. Losing weight today requires a huge effort, and over time it has become doubly so. In contrast, previous generations did not suffer from weight problems despite not restricting themselves particularly in their diet as is the case today.
Nutrition in the Soviet Union
Turning to the way people ate in the Soviet Union, nutritionists note that they tried to implement modern ideas about healthy eating that meets the needs of the body. The legacy of the food culture inherent in the Soviet Union is manifested in the nutritional algorithm of representatives of the older generation.
There is no talk of overeating.
Excess weight is usually gained when the amount of calories consumed exceeds the body’s needs. At first glance, one thing might seem obvious: people today are eating more. But research shows that this is not so clear.
Scientists have shown this using the example of the population of Great Britain, a country among the leaders in Europe in the number of obese people. As it turned out, over the past half century, daily calorie consumption has not increased at all, but on the contrary, has decreased.
If we talk about the average British person, the number of calories in his daily diet is estimated at 2,130 calories, including alcohol and sweets. In the 1970s, it was estimated at 2,280 calories, excluding alcohol and sweets. With them included, it becomes 2,590 calories per day.
lack of physical activity
The lack of association between obesity and overeating has led to the emergence of the idea of lack of physical activity. Today, modern society leads a sedentary lifestyle. Increasingly, people only move between the office chair, the car and the sofa.
But according to studies, office workers are not at the forefront of those most likely to gain excess weight. Excess body weight is more common among low-skilled workers who work physically hard. In addition, the modern view of weight loss considers exercise to be unimportant.
Calorie deficit exists.
The above data did not deny the rules of calorie deficit for weight loss. However, scientists put forward a version that modern people need much more effort to lose weight than their ancestors. Research has shown that changes have occurred in the work of the bodies of both generations. Therefore, young people will have to eat less and move more.
Expected causes of obesity in contemporary people
In fact, there is no clear conclusion about the causes of the massive weight gain, but scientists suggest some assumptions, namely that the hormonal processes associated with weight gain and maintenance can be affected by flame retardants found in food as well as chemicals used in packaging.
The frequent use of medications such as antidepressants over the past decade has also been linked to weight gain. In addition, antibiotics used in medicine and agriculture are gradually changing the human microbiome.
The microbiome is a term that refers to the entire community of microbes (such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses) that live inside or on the surfaces of living organisms, including humans. It can be likened to a “mini-forest” that lives inside and outside of us, and greatly influences our health and daily lives. The microbiome contributes to digestion, immune system, and mental health. Conversely, an imbalance in the microbiome can contribute to a number of diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases.
In general, doctors pay close attention to the issue of a balanced diet for weight loss. However, scientists realize that obesity is a disease that depends on many factors, and it is necessary to find ways to get rid of it.