According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity in th

Question

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity in the U.S. population increased from about 12% in 1991 to about 34% in 2006. The highest increase occurred in 18- to 29-year-olds. Although part of the reason is our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, the principal cause is our overconsumption of abundant processed food products, many of which are high in fat and sugar content. Why do you think fat tastes good to so many people, and is difficult to resist? Consider the fact that our appetites and digestive systems evolved over time under very different circumstances. Are there advantages to our tendency to eat too much that would have been selected for in the course of human evolution? How can we, as a society, deal with the problem?

Explanation / Answer

Fats tastes better than other foods because it is responsible for the flavor of foods. Fats make foods crispier and makes other foods taste better. Fats combine well with grains and sugar and also make them soft, moist and tender.

Human foods in prehistoric times are devoid of fats or fats were present in scarce amounts. So, our taste buds evolved to like fats. The obesity epidemic is caused by the evolution of taste buds for fats together with widespread availability of processed foods.

We can deal with the obesity epidemic by creating awareness about the long term illeffects of obesity. Physical activity should be encouraged. Intake of processed foods and refined sugars must be limited.

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