Obesity Rate Skyrockets, Mediterranean Diet Helps Weight Loss Efforts
Overweight and obesity are known to dramatically increase the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia. Excess body fat fuels the fire of systemic inflammation and the release of dangerous chemical messengers or cytokines that damage the delicate inner lining of our arteries and set the stage for vascular dysfunction.
As we pass age 35, there is a natural tendency to gain weight due to slowing metabolism, unchanged calorie intake and less physical activity. These problems are compounded by a diet high in processed carbohydrates and hydrogenated fats that stimulate fat storage and metabolic disarray. Following a Mediterranean style diet can help to curb weight gain, improve health and boost your weight loss efforts.
Alarming Study Projects 42% Obesity Rate by 2050
Researchers have been encouraged that the obesity rate has stabilized at 34% over the past 5 years. The number of overweight and obese individuals has also remained steady at just under 70% for the same period. New research released in the journal PLoS Computational Biology uses statistical projections from the Framingham Heart Study to suggest that the upward trend will continue over the next 40 years to peak at 42% of men, women and children registering as clinically obese.
Obesity Explodes Over the Past Century
In the early 1900s, one in 150 people were obese. By 1971, the obesity rate climbed to 14 percent. Forty years later, that number has jumped to 34 percent. Something has changed during this time period to create such an explosion in body fat accumulation. We are still the same genetically diverse people we were 100 years ago, yet our metabolism has been dramatically altered toward fat storage. While physical activity may play a small role in the increase, there is one much more compelling reason we’re exposed to many times each day.
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