Interactive Infographic Reveals the Reason We are Obese

Unfortunately, the graph didn’t work in your post for me. It did work on the Civil Eats website though. So, there might be a technical issue somewhere?

I have to say I was surprised to see that the overall calories for dairy consumption haven’t increased significantly. I suspect that’s not because we haven’t increased our dairy consumption, but because as a society we’re eating more low-fat dairy. I also wonder about the accuracy of not eating significantly more sugar? I suspect it might be the actual table sugar that we use in our households, since stats say that hasn’t changed much. But, it can’t possibly also include the added sugars found in processed foods.

Having looked at it, I would agree that this shares one factor of why it is that in North America obesity is steadily on the incline. There are lots of other factors too – like the quality of those calories (whole vs. processed foods), accessibility to fresh fruits and vegetables (especially for those living in economically depressed areas), and honest education about food that is free from having to appease the mighty corporate dollar.

Personally, I would suggest that another, and often overlooked, reason for obesity is that we are so caught up in the world of dieting. In my health coaching practice, I see so many people who learned a hard and fast rule about being thin at some point that is damaging their health. Often, it’s removing an entire food group from their diets; like the woman who hadn’t eaten any grain products in more than 3 years and couldn’t understand why she was having intense sugar cravings (and the resulting binge on cookies or cakes several times a week); or the woman who never ate anything with any fat in it – fat free dairy, fat free salad dressing, cooking with water and never oil – she, too had weird cravings she couldn’t understand. She experimented with adding a small amount of healthy oil to her diet and voila – cravings gone. I see this happening all the time, and I suspect the ‘food products’ that have been created lead to additional calorie consumption too.

Obesity was rare when I was growing up. As a society we need to stop blaming (and suing) food companies and restaurants! “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips”

Hey Rachel, I totally agree, and have come across similar things in my Weight Loss Mind Coaching. The more people become There are more diets now than ever before and more obesity. It’s not just a coincidence. The more people become obsessed with eating only certain foods and cutting out other things, on the advice of others, they stop listening to their own bodies.

When people truly believe in their own intrinsic worth and value as humans, there are no limiting beliefs and distortions about food, weight, health, and they are educated about correct nutrition… then they can forget the diets completely and just listen to their own bodies, and then their weight will regulate naturally and will feel better than ever. Skip the diets, drink more water, eat natural foods, chew, and stop just before you’re full.

We need to stop worrying about diets and get back to eating real food, not the food stuff and products that we’ve come to consume on a regular basis.

A diet comes to an end. A lifestyle does not.