Obesity Trends in America- What Caused the Sudden Uptick?

Obesity Trends & The Food Pyramid

In 1980 – There was 1 state that had an obesity rate of 10% or higher.

By 1995 … Every state had an obesity rate of over 10%

1990

Source: www.procon.com

1995

Source: www.procon.com

As we head into 2020 – Some states are moving close to 50% obesity rates, and the lowest state, Colorado, still has a rate over 20%.

2017

Source: www.procon.com

So… What happened around 1990  to escalate the rate of obesity in all states?

Answer: The Food Pyramid was introduced to the world. Some of you will remember the Food Pyramid. It came after the “4 Basic” Food Groups nutrition philosophy:

source: www.usda.com

The Food Pyramid recommended 6-11 servings of breads and grains in your everyday diet. It also said that all fats are bad and will make you fat. The Food Pyramid even put them at the top with sugars!

In contrast to the distribution of food types shown above, here is the Zone Method Pyramid.  This is the method we here at 1088 Nutrition recommend:

source: www.zonediet.com

*The Zone Diet reduces diet-induced inflammation and improves mental and physical performance.

*It also has helped people to lose weight and lessen the risk of chronic disease. (if you click the Zone Pyramid, you can see all the benefits of this eating philosophy.)

One simple way to eat like this is to use- The Plate Method. It looks like this:

By taking the emphasis away from grains and bread, and putting it on vegetables and lean protein, your body will have the right balance of nutrients it needs to burn your fat, while supporting repair and recovery.

Partnered with a fun and consistent exercise routine, your body will shed the excess weight it’s carrying around. It’s a simple strategy – but sometimes difficult to make those changes first and tough to make them last!

That’s what we are here for.

Now that you know, buck the trend of obesity and begin feeding your body what it needs.

“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”

– Coley

p.s. If you need a reason to hunker down on your nutrition, we are hosting a 6-Week Nutrition Challenge in September. You set a goal, receive a meal plan, weekly virtual check-ins, pre and post weigh-in and assessment, and we have prizes for the winners! Click below to find out more.