This blog was written by Melissa Cusick. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
In the world of technology, time equals improvement and efficiency. Back in the day we had computers that occupied the space of an entire room and Zack Morris–sized cell phones. Now we have computers that fit in the palm of a hand and Zoolander-sized cell phones. It seems that as more is discovered in the world of technology, items have become smaller and more efficient. Interestingly enough, this concept does not seem to apply to people.
In 1995 when the United States began tracking obesity rates, Mississippi had the nation’s highest adult obesity rate at 19.8 percent. Now, 16 years later in 2011, Colorado has the nation’s lowest adult obesity rate at 19.4 percent. As you can see, what used to be the upper end of the nation’s obesity scale is now at the extreme low end of the spectrum. This is concerning because common conditions associated with obesity include but are not limited to high cholesterol and triglycerides, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, all conditions that can be avoided with proper nutrition and activity.
Nowadays, we have low-calorie options at stores and restaurants, fitness centers popping up on virtually every corner, and educational tools at our fingertips. We can download an app on our tiny cell phones to count calories or find a healthy restaurant or fitness facility, but do we? Something common to the field of technology and humans is that bigger is not always better. What has changed in our society that has influenced the adult obesity rate to increase so severely?