IFIC -How America ha s become overweight

As the United States became more prosperous, attention began to shift from nutritional deficiencies to conditions associated with over-consumption (e.g., heart disease, elevated cholesterol, type 2 diabetes). In the 1980s and 1990s, the focus was on nutrition and its impact on chronic disease; with specific attention to dietary fats. Only within the last decade have overweight and obesity been identified as important public health concerns.

As urbanization and incomes rise, traditional diets that are rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber are gradually replaced by western diets that are lower in these nutrients and high in calories. Thus, obesity often coexists with chronic undernutrition in the same population, creating a double disease burden.

The rise in overweight and obesity can be attributed to an imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended or a shift away from healthful food and lifestyle choices. These have resulted from gradual changes in a complex set of social and environmental factors. Individuals have become less active in all areas of their lives. Work and free time have become much more sedentary. Food habits—such as diet composition, increased eating away from the home, and larger portion sizes—have also changed. There has also been a societal shift in the way communities are designed and built. Often, there is a lack of resources or foresight to design urban and suburban environments that encourage active lifestyles, such as sidewalks and walking paths. Areas that require more study are the impact of genetics and psychological factors on the development of overweight and obesity.

Originally printed in the 2007-2009 IFIC Foundation Media Guide on Food Safety and Nutrition source- International Food Nutrition Council