Where did obesity come from?
How did we get so fat? In this post I intend sharing with you my lighthearted thoughts about just where obesity may have come from. And also my thoughts on why we have become rather fat… Back in the early 1960s, which is really not that long ago, it was common to see news items about famine. Back then, it was a serious problem; people were dying of starvation. But now, on a daily basis, both on TV and in newspapers, the narrative has changed to discussions about ‘globesity’.
World Health Organisation
Obesity rivals global warming and international terrorism, in terms of threats to society. The World Health Organisation confirms that obesity and being overweight are now linked to more deaths than starvation. But where did the problem originate from? We also have a page summarising some of the interesting facts and figures included in the Channel 4 TV documentary “Who Made Britain Fat?”
How Did We Get So Fat
Literally thousands of books, magazines and research papers have been written about the subject. I am sure there are multiple reasons and factors that have played a part. I recently wrote a blog post on this site all about Food Addiction, which you may find interesting.
On the page you can read about how food works in a similar way to cocaine, heroin and other addictive substances. Foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugars trigger the release of positive, feel-good chemicals in the brain similar to dopamine. Just like those using drugs, after a person has experienced the highly pleasurable feeling of consuming the energy-dense foods, the brain starts to crave more; the person can rapidly become addicted.
Junk Food Addiction
Many people experience similar cravings to those of a drug addict, when consuming ‘junk food’. It appears that junk food is well-adapted to triggering identical reward pathways in the brain, leading to a full-blown addiction developing. So I guess this is just another of the reasons that we are seeing this rise in obesity. You may also like to read our page about fast food outlets and the top secrets they don’t want us to know. Another part of the puzzle involves basic energy expenditure. But, don’t worry, I am not talking about you joining a gym.
Energy In Versus Energy Out
My thoughts are based on the effect of “Energy In Versus Energy Out”. I know it is just common sense, but please allow me to go into a little detail. When I was a child, I can remember living at home with my mum, dad, brother and sister. We always had three meals a day, and sometimes we would have supper before bedtime. We had large Sunday lunches, always with a heavy pudding and custard. But honestly, no one in the family was overweight.
How Did We Get So Fat
I attended a really large school in Hemel Hempstead; I think there were around five hundred children attending. But, when I think back, I cannot remember there being that many, if any, fat kids. It seems almost impossible, but I have asked friends of the same age to think about it and let me know. They each came back and said the same thing, most said they could only remember a very few overweight children. You may also like to read our blog post: “Does working from home make you obese?”
How Did We Get So Fat
So how can that be, what exactly has changed? How did global obesity become such a big issue? How could childhood obesity has gone from close to zero to towards 50 per cent? Also, if we knew where it came from, maybe it would help us to find an acceptable remedy. Because, as we all know, we desperately need one. The diet industry is valued at $275 billion, and it grows every year. But it does not work; they get richer, we are getting fatter.
Just answer the Phone….
To try and answer this question and more, let me share my thoughts around the early development of obesity. Well, for a start I remember my parents repeatedly asking me to ‘jump up and change the TV channel back and forth’. Remote controls didn’t exist then. We also have a page examining the link between obesity and the increasing size of TV screens.
No Remote Control
The telephone was ‘wired in’. Like all households at the time, I remember it being on a small table at the end of the hall. Answering the phone always meant running down the hallway, then returning to tell whoever the call was for, to ‘visit the phone’. I can remember my dad sometimes saying: “Go back and tell them I’ll ring them back”. When he said that, I had to run back down the hall for a second time.
How Did We Get So Fat?
I can remember learning to drive in my dad’s Ford car. Of course there was no power-assisted steering then, you needed to have strong muscles, especially when trying to park. You may not believe this, unless you’re the same age as me, but when you wanted to open the window you had to turn a little silver crank handle on the door, winding the window up or down.
How Did We Get So Fat?
Before school each day I did my paper round. Every morning at around 6.30 I would get up and head off on my bike to the local newspaper shop to pick up my ‘made up’ paper round. I can remember that in the winter I would start and sometimes finish in the dark. Afterwards I would return home, have a wash and make my bed before leaving for school.
I can remember my first trip abroad; my dad dropped me and a friend off at Luton airport. It was a tiny place then. We literally struggled into the airport terminal carrying our suitcases. Once inside, like everybody else, we had to stand in line behind a hundred or more people at the check-in desk. Every time someone was checked in, you bent down, picked up your case and moved forward a step or two.
Everyone Smoked
Writing this, one other thing I remember that has nothing to do with this page is that we could smoke on the plane. For some reason, which we find incredible now, if you were in the back ten rows, you were in an allocated smoking seat. They believed that the people in the rows in front would not be affected…. But that was then, that was when no one was fat.
How Did We Get So Fat?
So what about now…? Just ahead of leaving home today I made the bed, (Marion and I take it in turns). But it is very different operation from what I did as a kid before school. Then, as a child, we had sheets and blankets that all needed to be ‘tucked in’.
But this morning, like every morning, I just picked up the duvet, gave it a shake and lowered it on the bed. It was almost effortless. We drove to work this morning in our very average car; it’s just a small Seat, but like all cars nowadays it has power-assisted steering, electric windows, air-conditioning and electrically adjusted wing mirrors; absolutely no need to move a muscle or do basically anything other than just sit…it’s effortless.
Let’s Watch Netflix
Similarly, if you could have seen me and Marion watching TV at home last night, you would note that, between us on the sofa, we had the TV remote control, the sound bar remote and of course both our mobile phones; no one gets up off their backside to adjust the TV, do they? And who gets up and runs around the house to answer the phone? Zero effort is required for almost everything these days.
How Did We Get So Fat?
We have a wonderful set of Samsonite suitcases. To be honest, when we bought them, I considered the price to be a small fortune. But they are now ten years old; they look and perform the same as the day we bought them. So maybe paying for quality was the right thing to do.
How Did We Get So Fat?
Back to the Samsonite suitcases… Like most, if not all modern luggage, not only do they have wheels, so that you can pull them along behind you, but they have four wheels. So you can stand them up and wheel them along at check-in, maybe even with a burger in your free hand. Once again, effortless! Does anyone actually pick up a suitcase now….
Grab a Burger
After clearing security at our local airport there is a considerable distance to walk to the ‘gate’. But that is not a problem, you don’t have to do anything like use your feet or legs. All you have to do is waddle onto ‘travelator’, with a croissant and a coke in your hand. That, of course, is in case you are still hungry following your burger at the check-in desk!
How Did We Get So Fat?
The travelator will automatically deposit you almost at the door of your aircraft! Then of course, with many airlines, the food trolley rolls down the aisle exactly twenty minutes after take-off, with yet more food, in case you’re still hungry…. Zero effort required, other than chewing your food, ahead of swallowing it.
How Did We Get So Fat?
I understand that most people now have dishwashers, and remote control TVs are the norm. We have a new oven, a Bosch. It has a button labelled ‘SC’ on the front. It is of course a self-cleaning oven! I can remember my mum on her knees cleaning the oven with Brillo pads…
I guess everybody has an automatic washing machine. Our neighbours also have an amusing robot vacuum cleaner, and the neighbor on the other side has a robot lawn mower. So, it turns itself on at midnight two nights a week, cuts the lawn and then, I don’t know how, it finds its way back to the docking station and recharges itself, ready for its next adventure.
Something Must Change
When I try to calculate the calorific value of the energy saved on a daily basis with regard to some of the items above, it becomes obvious to me that something, somewhere, has to change, and soon: we just cannot continue to physically do less and less, whilst eating the same, or even more; it will literally be the death of us.
How Did We Get So Fat?
Of course there are many factors in play around obesity. Consider how we now find ourselves living in an ‘Obesegenic Society’. It is a society almost of our own making, where food, particular energy dense, high carbohydrate, low quality food is available, 24/7. It is virtually always at the lowest price point. The other element that establishes an ‘Obesegenic Society’ is where physical activity is in a continual decline, and not always because of individual choice. Society and government in general is playing its part in reducing energy expenditure, creating an obesity Tsunami.
One final point about the origins of obesity for the more mature reader: do you remember years back when the last thing people did at night, or possibly the first thing they did in the morning was to wind up their watch? Maybe they also had to wind up the alarm clock…. It was kind of ‘cute’, don’t you think…?
How Did We Get So Fat?
But, if that single act burned, let’s say 0.5 of a calorie (this is not based on any official calculation) then 0 .5 multiplied by 365 and then multiplied by say 60 years equates to approx 11,000 calories; maybe the demise of that act – the ‘rise of the mobile’ as your alarm call – could be the origin of obesity…! Anyway, these are just my (Martin Shirran’s) thoughts around the origins of obesity.
At the bottom of this page you can read a number of verified case studies of past clients that have completed the Award Winning Weight Loss Program. Sarah Hart below lost of 140 pounds, half her body weight. She has talked about her weight loss journey on TV on both sides of the Atlantic in addition to being featured in the UK press. Check out our Non Surgical Weight Loss Page Here.
FAQ 1 Can we reverse the trend of obesity?
ANSWER. The answer is a guaranteed YES. Obesity, being overweight can be reversed at any age. On the pages of this site we share with you many approaches that you can adopt, There is no requirement to purchase our programme to benefit.
FAQ 2 What Solutions can Oxford Therapeutics Provide?
ANSWER Oxford Therapeutics Limited provide the award-winning, medically endorsed My Weigh Less Programme. It’s a non-surgical, downloadable programme that delivers permanent results. Further down the page you can download a free audio introduction; no credit card or email address required.
FAQ 3 Can I reverse my obesity by increasing my exercise, my energy expenditure?
ANSWER It is possible, but is certainly not the easiest way. The saying goes that you can not outrun a bad diet, and that is true. Following a low-carb, weight-loss plan is our recommendation. It is based on 15,000 clinical hours experience. It works, and it’s sustainable. Read more details on the pages on this site, no purchase required.
A few tips you should adopt.
Tip No. 1 – Eat Slowly and Mindfully!
A growing number of studies have consistently found a correlation between speed of eating and weight, so it is officially accepted now that faster eaters are definitely more likely to become overweight. Studies have also shown that people are much more likely to eat more when their eating is mindless, as opposed to mindful. So, make meal times an occasion by sitting down at a table, with no distractions. Then eat slowly and savour every mouthful. You will naturally eat less food and also find it easier to lose weight as a result!
Tip No. 2 – Stay Away From Sugar and Highly Processed Foods!
It’s a fact that sugar and highly processed foods have addictive properties! So much so, that many people find that once they start eating these foods, they literally can’t stop. And, of course, if you’re making such poor food choices, this in turn will make it almost impossible for you to lose weight. So, our advice is to choose healthy, unprocessed foods and limit the amount of sugar you consume. As a result, you will have far more control over how much you eat and also how much weight you can lose.
Tip No. 3 – Eat Your Favourite Foods on the Plate First!
You may not be aware of how important this tip is, but the order in which you eat your food can actually have a big impact on how much you consume! It’s quite common for overweight people to “save the best til last” when eating. In other words they only eat their favourite food right at the end. It’s not so surprising then, that they also tend to eat everything on their plate, regardless of how uncomfortably full they feel. Because, of course, they don’t want to miss out on the “best bit”!
However, our advice is to eat your favourite things first. Not only will you enjoy it more, but it’s also much easier to stop when you’ve eaten just the right amount and leave the rest on the plate. Read our new page – Summer Time and the Weight Loss is Easy
How Did We Get So Fat?
A Permanent Solution to Weight Loss
Are you tired of trying an endless list of diets that just don’t work? Are you becoming weary of your efforts, always resulting in you regaining all the lost weight? Has your approach to dieting made you fear social events?
Are you looking for a medically endorsed solution; one based on thousands of hours of experience? Do you dream of finding a ‘Permanent Weight Loss’ treatment? Have you searched on Google in the hope of finding a proven programme? Maybe something that doesn’t involve undertaking a restrictive diet, doing lots of exercise, or having invasive surgery… And no need to buy any “Meal Replacement” products!
My Weigh Less Downloadable Course
Read on the pages of this website how Oxford Therapeutics Limited – ‘My Weigh Less’ – is successfully delivering what is ‘Utopia’ to dieters. A medically endorsed, proven, weight-loss approach. A programme based on over 15,000 1:1 clinical treatment hours.
You can download a completely free, MP3 introduction to our course right now. No email or credit card details required, just a few minutes of your time. Find out how My Weigh Less can help you reach your weight-loss goals and discover long-term weight management!
Martin and Marion Shirran, the developers and joint Clinical Directors of My Weigh Less, appeared on both the Good Morning America and the This Morning Breakfast Show. Kay Lindley, photo below, lost over 105 pounds, and reversed her type 2 diabetes, following her treatment with the Shirrans.
Lose Weight Permanently
So go ahead, relax, and take a few minutes to daydream about what it would be like to be slim and healthy. If you were at your target weight? And then imagine if you never had to go on a diet again, or be afraid of food? What if you were able to enjoy every social event? And you also had an abundance of extra energy, and improved self-esteem.
Welcome to the evidence-based My Weigh Less Master Class! A proven, psychology focused downloadable weight-loss treatment, that delivers permanent results. It’s also based on over 15,000 1:1 clinical hours treating overweight clients. Sarah Hart, below, lost 140 pounds following her treatment.
No Diets, Just Psychology
The My Weigh Less treatment is psychology-focused, built around the experience of treating over a thousand clients. The fully downloadable treatment has also been the subject of extensive real person trials. But, as with your considerations regarding any weight-loss approach, do take a look at the verified case studies, and their before and after photos on the My Weigh Less site. And afterwards, if you require additional comfort, visit the Medical Endorsement page.
The Gold Standard in Non-Surgical Weight Loss
The downloadable My Weigh Less course consists of twelve, one-hour weight-loss sessions, with the Shirrans, who have accumulated in excess of 15,000 hours of 1:1 clinical treatment time. In addition to the twelve sessions, clients receive a number of videos, animated presentations, visual aids and hypnosis sessions.
Martin Shirran below was one of first trial candidates.
The My Weigh Less Course is new and refreshing, incorporating the latest, science-based, behavioural change techniques. It’s also completely based on an approach that has changed the lives of over a thousand people. And now, you can also experience all the benefits, the changes in your life, and your thinking around food from the comfort of your own home. Martin, above, also went on to lose 84 pounds himself.
Psychologies Magazine featured their work.
Permanent Weight Loss is the Goal
If you want to lose weight permanently, and have looked into different diets, and possibly even surgery, then take a step back, before you decide which approach to adopt. You don’t need to spend any money right now, but just take ten minutes to read the pages of the My Weigh Less website. After all, you have nothing to lose. There’s also additional information on Martin and Marion’s GMB site.
Registered Stakeholder in NICE – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Marion Shirran, is proud to be a registered Stakeholder in NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. In addition, Marion is registered with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity. She also looks forward to being able to share her vast experience, and help you achieve your weight-loss goals.
The Downloadable Weight-Loss Solution.
Martin and Marion Shirran are Directors of Oxford Therapeutics Limited, which owns the Intellectual Property rights of My Weigh Less product.
You can download the complete course, and start your weight-loss journey today.
