Reply #142: One reason we have the obesity problem now

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

is the huge change in our food. High fructose corn syrup is an example--it is found in just about everything nowadays--even salad dressing! It adds calories and can cause all kinds of mischief with one's insulin levels, but it is a cheap additive with a certain amount of addictive properties in it. Overprocessed grains, such as wheat, leave only the starch and not the vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and again play havoc with insulin levels.

Another factor leading to obesity is the lack of exercise. I walked to school, and then played outdoors after classes (this was the 50s and 60s). Children tend to exercise less now, and snack more, which contributes to the problem as well.

But don't think that people seventy years ago didn't use genetics as an excuse for being overweight, because they did. My maternal grandparents were both very overweight, and it "ran in the family".