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The State of our Waistline ... by Karli Taylor

I’m not typically a scare-tactic kind of fitness professional. I’m not the trainer who wants to make the client cry. I don’t tell people about the toxins in the meat that their bodies can’t break down as they bit into a Whopper. Today, however, I am going to share some news that scared me. And quite honestly, I hope that it scares you as well.

The children who are of middle school age today are the first generation EVER in the United States to have a life expectancy that is shorter than that of their parents…  HOW DID THIS HAPPEN ???

In 2010, 66% of Americans are currently overweight and 30% of those are obese. 9 out of every 10 adults will become overweight and 50% of those adults will become obese. How is this happening? How are we THAT unhealthy?

In a country where everyone seems to be "on a diet" how are we gaining so much weight? I'm going to throw a few ideas at you that can help explain some of it- but I want to hear what you think.

• Continuous advances in technology have had a major impact on activity levels. We have decreased the energy-cost of work making it easier for more people to live sedentary lifestyles.
• Children have become less physically active as PE classes are no longer mandatory in many places, and video games and TV replace games like tag and hopscotch
• Modern food preferences are for energy-dense, highly flavored foods that are available around the clock- often from your car window!
• Portion sizes have increased. For example, a fast--food hamburger in 1980 was approximately 333 calories. Today it is over 600!
• Americans consume approximately 700 calories more per day today than they did in 1984!
• If you eat an extra 50 calories a day while maintaining the same activity level, you will gain 5 pounds in one year. Do the math!

Here's a fun fact for you: Did you know that the McDonald french fry is only 20% potato?

So- what do we do??