The CDC reported that there has been an increase in obesity and dieting in the US.
42% of the American populace was reportedly considered obese, yet it has been regularly reported that about 45 million Americans are dieting every year.
While the survey was conducted between 2017 and 2018, the results are conclusive.
In 2019 the population of the United States was 328.24 million. If we use that number to determine what percentage of the population is dieting, the results are enlightening to the say the least.
How Many People Are Dieting? Is Obesity Getting Worse?
Only about 13% of the United States population is doing what they consider a “diet”. (45 million out of 328.24 million = About 13%)
The CDC found that out of the people now considered obese, about 23% of them claimed to be on diets!
That means nearly 1 in 4 obese people are dieting, yet the statistics show that obesity is getting worse!
But how can that be? We live in an era when information about health, fitness, and hormonal wellness has never been more readily accessible right?
Dieting Isn’t Solving Obesity
Although the study is a bit dated, a publication was released in 2000 explaining how the estimated success rate for an obese person recovering back to their normal body weight was barely 15 percent on average!
A medical epidemiologist Dr. Craig Hales shared with WebMD how obesity is not a simple problem. Moreover, he shared that diet was not the only reason that people were obese!
"Obesity is a very complex health issue associated with many different health factors.”
So according to Hales, obesity isn’t caused just by one’s diet (or lack of one for that matter).
‘Very Easy To Overeat’
Registered dietitian Rebecca Stanski shared that solving obesity isn’t as simple as just eating leaner foods. Consuming less fat is just a piece to a bigger puzzle!
"There are a lot of factors involved when it comes to obesity. We have such an abundance of highly caloric, energy-dense foods in the U.S. It’s very easy to overeat. Our jobs are more sedentary as well, so we have reduced energy expenditure," she explained.
Rebecca went on to explain that portioning food and paying attention to being "full" is another reason people aren’t getting thinner. Yep, you can over eat on healthy foods too!
Refusing A Donut Isn’t The Solution
"Everyone is in a rush and too busy to take a lunch break. We just eat while we’re doing other things. When we do this, we can’t pay attention to hunger cues and don’t stop eating when we’re full," Stanski explained.
Data put forward by WebMD also states that overcoming or preventing obesity looks different for everyone!
Everyone has a different height, body type, metabolism, activity level, and nutritional needs. This means that the only way to retain a certain fitness level and weight involves a lot more than just going to the gym or avoiding donuts!
