by Katarzyna Radzka

Created on: October 20, 2010

It’s no surprise that in a society where junk food is the meal of choice and fast food restaurants are raking in the cash that the majority of the population are overweight. People are gaining weight in all parts of the developed world while other parts are starving. On one hand there’s the gluttony factor on the other it’s lack of knowledge and education about the importance of a healthy diet.

Our ancestors weren’t informed about carbohydrates, fat, protein, or fiber yet most managed to avoid obesity. Today, there is an enormous tool kit of knowledge available but people are disregarding the advice and continuing to eat excessively and lead sedentary and dangerous lifestyles that inevitably lead to weight gain.

Technology hasn’t helped matters either. People are no longer working as physically hard as they once did. Now, machines are doing all the hard work for them. We have dishwashers to wash the dishes after breakfast, lunch and dinner. Email and phone are used to communicate with friends across the street or a colleague in another cubicle. Cars allow us to commute quickly and without any effort. Computers do most of the work for us. It’s no wonder that the majority of the population are overweight.

Schools are also a contributing factor to this issue. A generation or two ago, physical activity in school was the norm. It was expected of students to participate in school sports and physical education activities. Some students were even lucky to have physical education every day. Nowadays, parents write notes to teachers excusing their kids from P.E. Many schools have stopped making sport a priority for students even though it’s an important part of their growth, development and education.

Problems with weight start at an early age. Parents often feed their children high fat and high sugar meals or get takeout because they are either too lazy or don’t have the time to cook. Home made lunches are becoming a thing of the past and it’s much easier to give children a few dollars to spend at the school canteen which often offers unhealthy options like crisps, sweets and soft drinks.

The majority of the population are overweight because people have become lazier. Society has gotten so used to technology and making their lives easier that they’ve forgotten to take care of their health. Getting up and walking over to a colleagues desk will be much better for health than sending that email. Cycling instead of driving at the weekend can help reduce the risk of becoming overweight. Humans were meant to be active, modern day has created a sedentary society which is simply getting fatter.

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