Smaller portions. This is especially relevant if you eat out a lot, because restaurant portions are ridiculous.

Less snacking. People eat all.the.time now, especially kids. Remember how for most of us Halloween was such a big deal because we didn't get candy a lot in everyday life? Totally changed now. Kids might not eat candy but they are snacking on energy bars (which are really just candy) Goldfish crackers, cheese sticks. Even healthy snacks are still snacks. Adults too nibble through the day.

And, people moved more. These days it's not uncommon for people to go from their bed to sitting in a car to sitting behind a desk to sitting in a car to sitting to eat to sitting in front of the TV. Physical work is all outsourced too, so it's not even like people are getting a good bout of movement from weekend yard work.

I think it's the fast casual/Starbucks craze and multiple consumer options . We went out to eat 4 times a year and it was a huge deal. We were fairly well off too. We went to friendlys or big boy usually. Now peoole hit up a eatery at least 3 times a week....more if you count Starbucks. Think about how many times you've been to Panera or chipotle or chop it or any of those this month...its prob at least 10 times. Growing up it was quarterly!

My mom legit didn't let us inside. Either did the other moms. We had to stay outside and entertain ourselves all summer and after school. We went home for dinner and would meet back up to play basketball before bed. We weren't allowed to watch tv because...ya know...that was inside.

Anonymous wrote:My mom was thin then because it was accepted that women take drastic measures to stay thin. Smoke all you want, eat nothing.

My parents chain smoked and got diet pills like amphetamines and Valium from the family doctor . Happy days.

More activity and cigarettes. We smoked cigarettes in junior high school right outside the doors or the bathrooms during class changes. In high school and college we did cocaine and 'speed' (anphetamines) and biked and walked a lot. Those were the good old days.

Anonymous wrote:My mom was a bad cook and she wasn't alone. All my siblings were skinny.

+1... my mom watched soap operas all day

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3 meals a day, regular size portions, no snacks that I recall, plenty of junk as others have mentioned - Tang anyone? I remember the rare times we were allowed a soda at a fast food place it was always the kid size that was no more than 6 oz - maybe 4 oz - A&W had mini mugs of root beer for kids. We were super skinny in our family partly due to genetics too.

I agree that portion sizes, snacking, high fructose syrup and lack of activity are all causes. However, even in the 70/80s we were always shocked at how fat Americans were when we returned from Europe so even then Americans were larger than their counterparts elsewhere but certainly nowhere near the size many are today.

We definitely had snacks--you'd come home from school and have a snack. My favorite was graham crackers with frosting. Or we'd have a snack between school and sports practice, and many kids would buy candy or chips. We were not eating healthier, but we were eating less. Portion sizes were totally different.

We were also really active. On a day like today I would probably go to the ice cream truck but I would also spend 4 hours at the pool (which I had to walk or ride my bike to).

My mom was a bad cook and she wasn't alone. All my siblings were skinny.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3 meals a day, regular size portions, no snacks that I recall, plenty of junk as others have mentioned - Tang anyone? I remember the rare times we were allowed a soda at a fast food place it was always the kid size that was no more than 6 oz - maybe 4 oz - A&W had mini mugs of root beer for kids. We were super skinny in our family partly due to genetics too.

I agree that portion sizes, snacking, high fructose syrup and lack of activity are all causes. However, even in the 70/80s we were always shocked at how fat Americans were when we returned from Europe so even then Americans were larger than their counterparts elsewhere but certainly nowhere near the size many are today.

We definitely had snacks--you'd come home from school and have a snack. My favorite was graham crackers with frosting. Or we'd have a snack between school and sports practice, and many kids would buy candy or chips. We were not eating healthier, but we were eating less. Portion sizes were totally different.

This. Remember those little snack size bags of doritos or fritos that you put in your lunch? that was a normal snack size. Now people eat bags three times that size. We've gone from 12 oz cokes to 16 oz bottles and bigger. I think research has shown that portion sizes on everything has increased and once you get used to it, you think it's normal.

Anonymous wrote:My mom was thin then because it was accepted that women take drastic measures to stay thin. Smoke all you want, eat nothing.

All women had was their bodies.

Anonymous wrote:3 meals a day, regular size portions, no snacks that I recall, plenty of junk as others have mentioned - Tang anyone? I remember the rare times we were allowed a soda at a fast food place it was always the kid size that was no more than 6 oz - maybe 4 oz - A&W had mini mugs of root beer for kids. We were super skinny in our family partly due to genetics too.

I agree that portion sizes, snacking, high fructose syrup and lack of activity are all causes. However, even in the 70/80s we were always shocked at how fat Americans were when we returned from Europe so even then Americans were larger than their counterparts elsewhere but certainly nowhere near the size many are today.

We definitely had snacks--you'd come home from school and have a snack. My favorite was graham crackers with frosting. Or we'd have a snack between school and sports practice, and many kids would buy candy or chips. We were not eating healthier, but we were eating less. Portion sizes were totally different.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As far as adults go, people email to get things done around the office. In the past, you would at least have had to walk to the other person's desk. And more and more activities like the bank, groceries, etc. can be done from your phone/computer.

Yes! And we outsource housecleaning, mowing the grass, washing the car, and even walking the dog. I remember having to take the throw rugs out on Saturdays and beat them before running the vacuum. Now I have someone else do almost all of my house cleaning.

True, but statistically speaking wealthy/upper middle class people (aka the groups that are outsourcing their cleaning/lawn care/etc.) are the least likely to be overweight or obese. So I don't think that really explains it.

My mom was thin then because it was accepted that women take drastic measures to stay thin. Smoke all you want, eat nothing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just this morning in the Metro, I observed a tourist family of 5, parents and 3 kids. And, except for the baby in the arm, all 4 were on the obese side of the scale. The two, what looks like an elementary aged kids, were finishing up a 7up bottle.
It may be a special occasion and the parents allowed it, but in my household, we never drink soda. Its water or tea (unsweetened).
I was thinking, obese really starts from that young age? Pumping so much sugar from that soda cannot be healthy to the kids....

People ate pretty unhealthy back then too. I had a sugar cereal for breakfast, kool aid multiple times a day, hostess snack in my lunch and usually a dessert after dinner -- root beer floats were my favorite. And I was always skinny and still am. my theory is a combo of:

1. Hormones and antibiotics in our food supply is messing up our gut bacteria.

2. More sedentary. I used to play outside running around or on my bike from when I got home around 3:30 to dinner time.

3. More processed meals and eating out.

4. Larger portion sizes.

Btw - we don't buy soda now but I do let my kids have it at a restaurant occasionally. I think making it forbidden fruit is worse. I have family members who were not allowed any sweets as kids that started hoarding and hiding junk food and are now overweight.

Tourist families also come here from all over the country and from areas where a sedentary lifestyle 24/7 is common.

1. Sitting on a porch and chatting with neighbors - COMMON.
2. Driving 30 minutes to Walmart or to pick up groceries - COMMON.
3. Picking up fast food like Wendys on the way home after school - COMMON.
4. Sitting on the bleachers at ball games, IF YOU'RE KIDS EVEN PLAY. - COMMON.
5. Going to work and sitting - COMMON.
6. Staying at home and watching Ellen - COMMON.

D.C. and New York and places like it are probably the most intensive amount of exercise (re: walking) they get all year. Meanwhile I walk 4-5 miles a day just because, walk to groceries and gym, walk to pick-up dry cleaning.

It's a choice but its not easy. At all.

WOW it's so hard and you deserve a medal for being so much better than those porch-sittin', Ellen-watchin' country folk!

Hey, I grew up with those country folk! All of my aunts are at least 80 pounds overweight. They lunch on fried chicken and the only place they walk is to their mailbox. Even the local park is a 20-minute drive away.

You think it was easy to change my mindset? To be healthier? NEWSFLASH it wasn't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As far as adults go, people email to get things done around the office. In the past, you would at least have had to walk to the other person's desk. And more and more activities like the bank, groceries, etc. can be done from your phone/computer.

Yes! And we outsource housecleaning, mowing the grass, washing the car, and even walking the dog. I remember having to take the throw rugs out on Saturdays and beat them before running the vacuum. Now I have someone else do almost all of my house cleaning.

The MC outsources everything without accounting for their own health. You're supposed to do this and then focus on your exercise. Lots of wealthy have been outsourcing for generations, but they then turn their attention on themselves.

This is an exercise gym at the Biltmore estate built in the 1920s!