Dieting: Success and Failure (Part 1)

Scientific advancements in the field of weight loss over the past century can be counted on one hand. More than that, they can be counted on a hand with no fingers. No great unifying theory has ever been proposed, pondered or put forth, to explain our population-wide propensity to become overweight. No theory that is, beyond the fact that we are a population of overeaters.

To bolster the claim we are a society of overeaters I present national prevalence data. The National Center for Health Care Statistics published data from 1999 to 2004 showing the percentage of obese adult males in America rose from 27% to 31%. That may not possess shock value unless it’s translated: Nearly a third of adult males are beyond being overweight and classified as obese. In addition to that, a startling 64% of all adults are considered either overweight or obese.

Arguably, the definition of overweight and obese, in terms of BMI, might be arbitrary and in need of re-evaluation; however, make a simple observation on your own. Purchase a ticket on Delta or British Airways or some such overseas metal conveyance, to say Paris or Amsterdam or even Prague. Hang out and walk around for a week or so to acclimate to the locals. And really, what amazes me is people like Rick Steves make a living doing this. Hang out in Prague, write about the hotels and restaurants, drifting through the local digs, publish it and make money while on vacation. So, where exactly did I go wrong? Anyway, returning to the United States, what’s the first thing you notice? Walking off the plane fresh from your trip to Prague, strutting down the escalator-expedited causeway, the travelers of said airport are noticeably larger than you remember. The scent of McDonalds, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut greets you. You’re instantly reminded you have re-entered the land of plenty. Moreover, the populous of the land-o-plenty are considerably bigger than those skinny Praguelodites you were just strolling with.

It’s shocking at first, but as time goes by, loitering outside Taco Bell, the more it all seems normal. Returning home and starting work again, the shock of realizing we’re larger than our European neighbors fades quickly. All of which begs the question: What factors brought us to where we are today? What economic, agricultural and marketing successes (and failures) have offered up a population of chronic overeaters, where more than 60% of us are categorized as either overweight or obese? And don’t bother with the scientific literature for answers. None of the mainstream medical journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and others publishing peer reviewed studies related to overweight and obesity, offer much related to overeating beyond the fact that it seems to be happening. In fact, most scientific studies related to overweight and obesity seek to tap into popular National Institutes of Health funding to support professorships, research careers, labs and clinics, rather than address overeating on a nation-wide scale.