Question

Below are possible explanations for the rise in obesity in the US.

Provide empirical evidence to support or refute each explanation.

(a) Increase calories per meal.

(b) Increase in number of meals.

(c) Increase in calories consumed inside the home.

(d) Increase in calories consumed outside the home.

(e) Decrease in calories consumed (e.g. more sedentary lifestyle).

Answer 1

Increase in obesity in US or any other country depends on multiple factors, from increase in calorie intake to decrease in physical activity, change in food consumption pattern and so on.

Each given argument is dealt in detail below –

a. Increase calories per meal.

This is one of the foremost reasons for obesity in US. High usage of high calorie fast food, usage of high fructose corn syrup in a number of food items and preparations and other such factors lead to high calorie consumption per meal. A Princeton study has found out that usage of high fructose corn syrup which was introduced in 1970s coincides with increase in obesity in US. Thay also found out that usage of this syrup adds more calories to meal than normal table sugar. Also fried fast food and soft drinks in each meal is a norm in US now. These all increase calorie intake per meal.

b. Increase in number of meals.

With the wide availability of fast food and their attractive advertisements pull people towards consuming them. The people consume them even beyond normal eating time. They also lead to more hunger pangs in people and thus people consume more number of meals. This all lead to more calorie intake and thus obesity.

c. Increase in calories consumed inside the home.

Again the culprit here is fast food and also ready to eat food. Pick –up of fast food and soft drinks from drive-throughs while going home is now a way of life of many Americans. Also food additives used in many food preparations at home contains calorie boosting elements. For example high fructose corn syrup can be found in soft drinks, sauce, bread, cookies and many more food items. These all leads to increase in calorie consumed inside home leading to obesity.

d. Increase in calories consumed outside the home.

This is very common to guess. Often many Americans eat food outside. During office hours, lunch time, and even dinner time many Americans take to fast food and thus high calorie intake outside of home. Moreover advertisements and attractive offers such as toys for children at fast food stores lure children to consuming such food and creadting a lifelong habit in them of such consumption pattern. Many of these children continue to struggle with obesity for lifelong period then.

e. Decrease in calories consumed (e.g. more sedentary lifestyle).

This is not a reason for increase in obesity. In fact more sedentary lifestyle would lead to low obesity among population. Anyways the evidence suggest that calorie intake for an average American has gone up over the years. For example average calorie intake of males has gone up to 2347 calories per day in 1994-96 from 2080 calories per day in 1977-78. Simile]arly for females it has gone up to 1658 from 1515 over the same period .( Source- Data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intake 1977–1978 and 1994–1996.). moreover car culture and decrease in physical activity in adults and children has lead to even more obesity among Americans.