Sanjay Basu in Global Health Hub reports on a number of studies documenting the rise in obesity worldwide. Basu notes that obesity has now overtaken tobacco as the largest preventable cause of disease in several regions. Middle-aged women are especially susceptible, as this graph shows:
Global Health Hub
The question is Why?
There are many potential causes of obesity, he writes, and many theories as to what is driving us to get fatter overall — sedentary lifestyles, the “built environment’ or the sugar-carbo content of processed foods. Basu examines the arguments for and against these causes, noting that we won’t be able to halt this epidemic until we figure out what are the primary drivers.
It’s not just about telling people to eat less, apparently.