What's Eating You?

In a country where 2/3 of the population is overweight (and rising), health and fitness have never been more important. As a personal trainer, and manager of a fitness facility, I have seen and heard it all. Everyday someone bravely walks through the doors, sick and tired of the way they are feeling or looking (or by Doctors orders), trying to change.
I have heard the horror stories of lives spent battling obesity. I have been a shoulder to cry on for people who have "tried everything" but nothing has worked for them. I have watched as friends, family members, clients, and peers tried again and again, to no avail, to finally shed the pounds they've been tirelessly lugging around for years. I have also seen success. I have met some wonderful people with inspirational stories of overcoming the weight. I believe this obesity problem deserves more attention than a single article. I am going to post a 3 part series addressing the culture of obesity in our country. In this 3 part series, I will discuss:

• Getting Fat - How we got here.
• Diets - how they work and why they don't.
• Losing Weight - how to keep it off.

PART 1: HOW WE GOT FAT

There is no one reason why this country is experiencing an obesity epidemic. It is definitely not as simple as "fast food is convenient" - something I have heard over, and over.... and over, when discussing this situation with people. Though this is true, and often plays a part in the justification of eating poorly, it is deeper than that. there are three reasons, that work in conjunction, That I believe can give us some insight on the problem and help us combat it.

1. Stress
2. Mindlessness
3. The Fast-food Industry

Stress - We live in an incredibly stressful world. Our jobs, traffic, our family, cost living increase, stagnant economy, etc., etc. The problem is that the stresses we face today are much different from the stresses of our ancestors. When we encounter stress, our body releases chemicals (namely adrenaline and cortisol). These chemicals trigger us to reach for palatable foods, high calorie foods, and assist in the storage of energy as fat.. You see, when we were hunters and gatherers, periods of stress were famine, hunting, or escaping predators. These stressful situations required us to replenish our energy stores through calorie dense foods. The stress we face today  is much different from the stress of yesterday, but our body doesn't know the difference. We are hardwired to "crave" these high calorie foods. Because these foods are made readily available to us (fast food) it becomes extremely hard to avoid them.

Read more on Cortisol!

Mindlessness - In this stressful, fast paced world, we rarely find that we have the time to sit down and enjoy a meal. We are constantly on the go. We are constantly multitasking. This leads not only to quick and convenient meals that may not be the healthiest option, but to mindless eating. We consume, without paying attention to what, or how much, we are consuming. This leads to over consumption of poor meal choices without the enjoyment of them. All of the consequences and non of the benefits.

The Fast Food Industry - Fast Food has revolutionized the way eat. The Fast food industry has come to literally control how our food is raised/grown. I won't go into much detail about it here. There are two wonderful documentaries I highly recommend that explain more than you want to know (that's a good thing!): King Corn, and Food, Inc. The Fast Food industry has capitalized on America's (and the world's) taste for fatty, sugary, and salty foods to and markets it to children. Shaping us from a young age to drink soda when we're thirsty, believe Frosted Flakes are a Grrreeaatt way to start your day, and to think that McDonald's is what athletes snack on when they take a break during basketball practice.

Kobe Bryant MacDonald's Commercial 2001