There is no shortage of companies trying to create that amazing pill that will miraculously burn fat; or build a device that will give you precise data on how to hack your body’s ability to burn fat. The overused or incorrectly used AI terminology also starts getting thrown into the mix to make the weight loss solution sound a bit more “tech”-driven. These proposed slimming solutions that promise a quick fix to the obesity problem are also the solutions that attract the most attention, and the most funding from investors. It makes sense – everyone is looking for a quick fix 😇.
However, we believe that to find a credible solution, we need to understand the problem at hand. To do that we will look at one of our recent adverts that we posted to raise some eyebrows 😁.
In this post, we spoke about our favourite sports car – the Porsche 911. From the mid-60s model to the recent 911 model, it has grown about 6 inches in width. Over a similar period, the average adult has also expanded about 6 inches in width 🙄. The difference between the sidewards expansion of the 911 and that of the average adult is that the first was largely out of necessity. Cars were forced to grow to become safer and to fit all the additional safety equipment required by regulators. People on the other hand did not expand to survive. Our expansion has been a lot more voluntary. Let’s look at some of the “voluntary” actions that have contributed to this 6-inch expansion:
Our activity levels and lifestyle: Yes, moving from a more labour-intensive lifestyle (the 60s) to a more sedentary one is part of the problem. But we would have thought that the much higher incidence of voluntary physical activity (gyms and other exercise activities) should have somewhat offset this change. Life has also not necessarily become easier with all the progress and modernisation. Since the 60s, urbanization has been a big theme. Coupled with a rapid increase in population size, we now find ourselves competing for limited resources – public transport and lots of walking has become the norm when living in a city. We would rule out a less labour-intensive lifestyle as the main driver behind the 6-inch expansion.
Our diet: We eat a lot more processed, sugary, and salty food today than we consumed in the 60s. Fast food on every corner, combined with the increase in wealth since the 60s means junk, unhealthy food is a lot more accessible. It is well documented that sugary and salty food provides poor nutrition and is addictive. Now we start getting closer to the root of the problem 🤔.
Our consumption and change in behaviour: One of the biggest changes between the 60s and the current decade is the amount of food we are consuming. In the developed world, the average adult is consuming more than 3,200 calories per day – that is about double what we require! This figure has been creeping up steadily over the last 60 years and shows no sign of slowing down. But for some reason this scary calorie consumption figure has not raised enough eyebrows. This rapid increase in consumption is the result of growth in wealth since the 60s, but also by our change in behaviour. Yes, we can afford more food today than we could in the 60s, but that does not mean our portion sizes need to constantly increase. In addition, we often don’t focus on our meals, and rather spend mealtime in front of a screen, or reading a book. Eating on the go has become very common, too. This distraction results in us not being in tune with the eating process and our bodies. We may end up eating too quickly. As a consequence, we overeat. We believe that overeating is the root of the problem and the biggest driver of the obesity trend. No amount of research, or money thrown at the problem will reverse this trend. The scary part is that most overweight people don’t think their excessive consumption is a big part of the problem, and the companies promoting “solutions” are being too silent about the overeating problem, and thereby supporting the false sense of belief that there is some miracle solution that is about to be discovered 😞.
The solution is simple – the change in consumption and behaviour that has occurred since the 60s needs to be reversed. Unlike a 911 which can be re-engineered to carry more weight, our bodies do not change when we add six inches in width – our organs and feet stay the same size, and this introduces a lot of problems and complexity. We will end on a funny note and repost of one our other recent eye catchers 😉.
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