Want to lose weight and assume that it’s enough to limit calorie intake and start moving more? Or maybe you don’t believe in diets, because you consider your extra pounds “handiwork” of bad genes? In fact, most of the well-known knowledge on the prevention of obesity is not true and are myths.
The obesity epidemic today is one of the most serious public health problems in developed countries. But even if the situation seems relevant, and the topic of weight loss attracts the attention of the medical environment and leads to the search for new solutions, this does not interfere with the support of myths and misconceptions that relate to weight gain and the fight against extra pounds. What "superstitions" do not allow a rational look at the problem of obesity?
We will consider the 5 most common myths about obesity and try to destroy them, taking as a basis the study of the thickest people in the world - Americans.
1. If you get better, genes are to blame
Some researchers attach too much importance to the genetic predisposition to correct or not body weight. However, between 1980 and 2000, the number of obese Americans doubled, which in no way can be justified by the principle of inheritance.
Why do we eat too much? The answer to this question seems simple: we eat a lot because we can do it. Either at home or in a restaurant for $ 1 you can get more food than ever before. Before World War II, the average American family allocated 25% of their income to groceries, in 2011 - only 9.8%.
People are now eating much more often in the city. Since meals served in restaurants and bars tend to be richer in calories than homemade meals, home-eaters are more likely to complain about being overweight. At the same time, the food industry has prepared tens of thousands of high-energy products for us, and with the help of marketing strategies it inclines us to increased and often unnecessary purchases.
If we must blame someone for our problems with weight, then we should rebel against those business practices that can be said no, unlike genes.
2. If you are complete, you do not have enough willpower
According to 2006 data, a “study of limited access to food” suggests that most diets are not a useful strategy in the fight against obesity. People will not lose weight by reducing their servings, because in the long run they will not be able to control themselves. Our environment and current psychophysical state have a direct impact on what we eat.
Studies have shown that if we are worried about any reason or deal with a large flow of information, as a rule, we make the wrong dietary decisions. In one experiment, people were asked to choose snacks after they memorized numbers consisting of seven or two digits. It turned out that people with increased mental efforts were twice as likely to choose chocolate cake as compared to less "tired" colleagues who chose fruit salad. It was also found that adults were ready to eat longer and more after watching a television program with breaks for advertising campaigning to buy junk food (in the control group they watched the same program, but without advertising food, and their participants had less appetite).
In the same study, it was noticed that children ate more crackers in the form of fish if they had previously watched an advertisement for junk food. Our world of lately, sal has been so rich in temptations that urge us to increase consumption in various ways that we often do not understand. Even the most vigilant among us will have problems controlling their reflexes.
3. Lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables is responsible for the obesity epidemic.
In most cases, obesity has little to do with limited access to healthy food. Rather, our choice, which we make in grocery stores and supermarkets, where the emphasis is on unhealthy food, is responsible for our problems with weight. Since we, as a rule, buy food with too much energy value, theoretically we could save money by refusing harmful products, and the funds obtained in this way could be spent on no more expensive and healthier items.
Obesity is the most common consequence of the wrong choice of food and too plentiful portions. The problem is that even those of us with the best intentions going to the department of vegetables in the supermarket will most likely not be able to refrain from buying sweets or chips displayed at the box office. As much as 30% of all supermarket revenue comes from the sale of goods located in this strategic area. This is the marketing policy practiced by most large stores that is responsible for our increased waist circumference. It’s not enough to walk around the vegetable department and have the proper resources for a healthy diet, to put in the cart not only the appropriate products.
4. Guilty of a sedentary obesity epidemic
Michelle Obama's campaign, under the motto “Let’s Move”, is based on the premise that if children move more, obesity among teens will no longer be a problem. On the other hand, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention cites data that in the 80s and 90s there was no significant decrease in physical activity among children and youth, that is, at a time when obesity rates among the youngest Americans skyrocketed .
Even if professional activity is associated with less physical effort than once, the demand for energy for activities related to spending free time increases. Which does not change the fact that the scales show us an undesirable result. Compelling evidence suggests that increased calorie intake is responsible for our figure problems.
A national health survey found that Americans consume, on average, 500 calories a day more than in the 70s, when obesity was not yet a big problem. Ample portions will not harm us, but on condition that we reserve them for special occasions. Today, however, this is an abundance of menus with us all year round. Most of us will no doubt be able to burn so many extra calories through exercise.
5. You can cope with obesity thanks to a deep knowledge of food and a healthy diet.
A study of the health status of American scientists showed that overseas 44% of male doctors cannot cope with obesity. Sociologists at the University of Maryland found that 55% of American nurses are overweight or obese. Since health professionals who deal with occupationally healthy people cannot take care of their normal weight, will knowledge of healthy nutrition help others?
Even comprehensive knowledge of good nutrition may not be very useful in temptations, which are portions of XXL size and marketing tricks aimed at pushing us to increase consumption.
It’s worth taking a closer look at the American alcohol policy: only licensed stores can sell alcohol to people over 21 years old. Absolutely other standards apply to the sale of food: virtually nothing is done to protect consumers from the risks associated with overeating.
In the 19th century, when the purity of water left much to be desired, infectious diseases were responsible for increased mortality. The establishment of sanitary controls has helped improve the health of residents. Similarly, if we had not lived today in the world of unhealthy foods such as fast food, sweetened drinks, foods high in fat, sugar and soda, the incidence of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease would have fallen sharply.
Knowledge, of course, will not hurt us, but what really would be effective is an improved legislative regulation that prohibits, for example, the advertising of junk food, which only increases our dependence on sugar and fat.
