The history of obesity in this country

     In the late nineteenth century this country was entering the age of the automobile. Industrialization was gaining ground. Families had similar stories. There were very few wealthy people; rather most were working people with modest lifestyles. The country was largely agrarian with most living in rural areas. The environment was untamed and still pristine in the vast majority of the country. People ate good food that was grown just as it had been for eons.
     Virtually every family at one time or another had a photograph taken of the family. One family's story illustrates the way things were and tracing that family gives us great insight into how obesity took over this country.
This photograph was taken in the 1880's. They were a young married couple. Neither is overweight, fat, or obese. These two are typical of that era.
This is a photograph of the same two people with their children. This was taken in the l920's. Again, no one is fat, overweight, or obese. These people lived on a farm and worked the land.
This is a photograph of a 1960 3rd grade class in Mesa, Arizona. One student is a grandson of the original two people. Note not one child is overweight nor is the teacher. Back then children had recess and played physical games. Parents encouraged them to be outside in the fresh air. All of them had chores to do.
This is a picture of a 4th grade class in Mesa, Arizona in 1961. You see not a single fat or overweight child and the teacher is also not overweight. One child is the grandson of the first two people. In those times food was fresh, the air was clean, and water was good. Pollution was not a severe problem. The population was healthier. Junk food was not so prevalent because most families cooked their own food and most families were relatively frugal.
5th grade class 1962. The same matrix, each child is not overweight.
6th grade class 1963. Throughout the sixties the children were in good shape physically.
In the photograph above, the children of 1975 begin to exhibit the results of the societal changes. Fast food places began to proliferate, processed food was becoming more mainstream and the children begin to exhibit increased weight. 
By the 80's junk food became mainstream. Processed food was increasingly typical. The society had shifted and the country's population had become more urban. Food growing had become more mechanized with pesticide use being the norm.
By 1995, people had forgotten the way things used to be. The organic movement was relegated to hippies and counterculture types. Health food stores were not the favored shopping experience. The society was subsisting on processed food. Fast food outlets were everywhere. Most children had no idea where food came from. The children of this era grew up on video games, television, and were more sedentary.
What has occurred is that the societal changes have permeated every aspect of life. These children have been raised on fast food, junk food, and are focused on sedentary activities such as television, computer games, and social media.
Children today are basically victims. They are not old enough to make decisions for themselves and are conditioned by their environment. They eat what they have been introduced to and cannot know what is healthy for them. Children who are overweight at an early age generally are destined to be overweight throughout their live. As adults they often never recall a time not being overweight. It leads to a lifetime of stigma


A recent study by Newcastle University concluded that 7 out of l0 parents are in denial about their children's weight issues. Parents referred to it as puppy fat or a phase that they will outgrow. Parents, when asked to describe their child's weight, declared it as being normal weight when in fact the child was overweight. Overweight parents do not see any issues with their child's weight. Childhood obesity is now a global problem. The entire generation is at risk and this group could well be the first to not live as long as their parents.
Awareness of the problem is the first step to resolving it. Our purpose is to educate and guide you to better choices. A child cannot know what is good for them until an adult educates them accordingly. An adult who has experienced a life of poor eating habits is ill-equipped to provide that guidance.