Obesity – Epidemic of the 21st century.
1,9 billion peoples on the earth are overweight.
WHO (World health organization) statistics for spreading obesity in Russia.
Range of attributes
First: a widespread increase in the use of high-energy food. Its most common source has become the so called fast food. Globally, the number of fast food outlets has increased tenfold over the last twenty years. Hostages to the urban way of life will never miss an opportunity to save some time and have a quick snack at handy eateries such as McDonald’s. It will take us only 15 minutes to devour 600-800 calories and wash them down with a sweetened beverage adding another 200 calories on top. Our average daily need amounts to no more than 2200 kcal, to suffice for an active lifestyle. Thus, constantly getting such superabundant energy, the body takes care to transform it into a fatty tissue, in anticipation of tougher times, when all this supply might come in handy.
Second: a decrease in physical activity; sedentary lifestyle and manner of work; urbanization and the widespread use of personal means of transport. In modern cities, people have lost almost any opportunity to spend their physical energy. At home, appliances do all the work (washing machines, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, etc.). All devices have remote control, eliminating the need for spatial movement. Public transport and elevators will carry you to your workplace. And once you get there, everything is computerized, industrial production is automated, – physical movements are excluded almost everywhere. Therefore, let us not deceive ourselves and look for hereditary or congenital reasons: we have nowhere to spend what we consume.