I've seen the arguments.
- Ours is a sedentary lifestyle.
- So much fast food is available.
- We're all too busy to cook.
- We don't know how to portion.
- All overeating is emotional; fix that and the problem is solved.
- Unhealthy food tastes better.
- Some obesity is genetic.
- Vegetarianism/low-carb/vegan/low-fat/glycemic index/Weight Watchers/Jenny Craig/Atkins/South Beach/Zone is THE way to go.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's some truth to all of that. But if you think the obesity issue starts and stops there, well, think again.
Take portions, for example. We don't know what a portion looks like because we're PROGRAMMED to not recognize a portion. Here's fun: look at one of Campbell's or even Healthy Choice's microwaveable bowls of soup. You've probably brought one to work for lunch. You've probably looked at the calorie number only. Hmm...240. Doesn't sound bad. Looks like a portion, after all, it's in its own little bowl, right? WRONG. Read the label: says that's two portions, my friend, not one. It's 480 calories. Not packaged that way, is it? Doesn't look like it's two portions, does it? Isn't manufactured to be resealed and set aside for leftovers, either. Surprise! That bag of chips? 2.5 servings.
Ah, but cooking at home is the solution, right? WRONG. This article at CBS News notes that your cookbook may be making you fat. Portions and calories in cookbooks have grown significantly even in old standbys like "The Joy of Cooking," first published in 1930. The same brownie recipe in the same pan now yields 15 instead of 30 brownies.
Now look at your dinner plate. Better still, look at today's dinner plates in Target or Wal-Mart or anywhere. Look at the size of 'em. I have. Even did it with a tape measure. At a minimum, they're 11.5 inches - or more - in diameter. Gonna take a lot of food for that to look like a full plate. (I just threw mine out in favor of 9-inch 'salad' plates.) Plate size is a psychological indicator of 'fullness' according to Professor Wansink in his book, "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think."
And while we're at it, did you know that the smell of cinnamon increases appetite? Or that the red/yellow/orange color schemes at fast-food joints are deliberate to induce hunger?
Healthy eating isn't just about portions or awareness of changes and psychological manipulation, it's also about economics. Check out this article in the New York Times, particularly:
The survey found that higher-calorie, energy-dense foods are the better bargain for cash-strapped shoppers. Energy-dense munchies cost on average $1.76 per 1,000 calories, compared with $18.16 per 1,000 calories for low-energy but nutritious foods.
The survey also showed that low-calorie foods were more likely to increase in price, surging 19.5 percent over the two-year study period. High-calorie foods remained a relative bargain, dropping in price by 1.8 percent.
Although people don’t knowingly shop for calories per se, the data show that it’s easier for low-income people to sustain themselves on junk food rather than fruits and vegetables...
Look what we're all up against! Blaming obesity on laziness, lifestyle choices, and even genetics is too simplistic; it's also about marketing, economics, and how our assumptions and responses are 'programmed'.
And a note to the airline industry: exploiting this issue because your planes were designed 40 or 50 years ago is unfair.