It’s no secret everything tends to be bigger in America. Not only does the land of ‘Supersize Me’ offer some of the biggest portions on the planet, but some experts report that the average individual now consumes about 30% more calories than residents did in 1977.
Therefore, is it a surprise the U.S. is one of the fattest nations in the world? (Shockingly, it is 27th, not #1)
Probably not, but it doesn’t make this recent news any easier to stomach.
As reported by the CDC, the average American woman now weighs 166.2 pounds, which equates to the weight of an American man back in the 1960’s. Don’t forget, however, that men have also been increasing in size as well. The reality is that American men have ‘greatly expanded’ their waistlines, with a 30 pound increase spanning from the 1960’s to 2010. That’s a difference in an average weight of 166.3 pounds in 1960 to more than 195 pounds today. Similarly, that’s a 17.6% increase in weight gain (and an 18.5% increase in waist size) for women.
Not to be taken lightly, increased waistline – usually attributed to abdominal fat and/or morbid obesity – increases one’s risk for degenerative modern day illnesses substantially.
While there’s more to the game of being healthy and thriving at a balanced weight than ‘calories in vs calories out’, these statistics are essential to note because they accurately shed light on the devastation which is the Western diet. They also hint at what many believe will soon be well-known, and that is that stress plays a major role in the development of obesity and most – if not all – modern-day diseases of affluence.
Worldwide, particularly in developed nations introducing more foods modeled after American favorites, new records for obesity levels are being recorded.
“The CDC data shows that more than one-third (35.1 percent) of U.S. adults over the age of 20 are considered obese. And 69 percent of American adults over the age of 20 are either overweight or obese. More than 1-in-5 U.S. children between the ages of 12-19 are considered obese, with 17.7 percent of kids ages 6-11 also weighing in at obesity levels.”
Obesity is a symptom of an unhealthy diet, lacking mindfulness, and poor lifestyle choices – all which are essential in creating optimal health.
By taking preventative steps today, like choosing organic, unprocessed, and predominantly plant-based fare over processed foods, exercising for 30-45 minutes per day (3-5 times per week), and tuning into your body for 10-15 minutes in the morning and/or evening, great progress may be made in alleviating this crisis.
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This article (The Average American Now Weighs 18% More Than In 1960) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com.
