Why are we so Fat?

Are we uneducated or flooded with mass deception of marketers? Are the marketers actually deceiving us, or are they just not telling the whole story? The answer is all of the above.

Before I begin to educate and rant, I want to give you a little background on Austin Simply Fit and myself. Here at Austin Simply Fit, we make sure that each client is educated and that they understand the difference in realistic results and those results on magazine covers. We do not advocate the “get fit quick” schemes that are present and popular throughout mainstream society. We promote healthy lifestyle changes that are consistent and meaningful.

Personally, I have been to the dark side and attempted some yo-yo diets. As a 300+lb individual, I obviously wanted to do whatever it took(whatever they said it took) to lose weight and not be obese. I have been as small as 217. It has taken years of experience and proper education to understand and accept the reality of what fitness looks like and how to reach and maintain it.

After reading through a plethora of relevant research by Dr. Robert Portman and Dr. John Ivy, some of which is included in their book, “Hardwired For Fitness”, it is no surprise that 20/20 aired their recent segment. To save you a little time, here is a brief connection of the two.  Yo-yo dieting will produce more fat gain than fat loss in the long run.  Notice I said fat gain, not weight gain.  When we restrict (below RMR-Resting Metabolic Rate) from our diet, we will actually store excess calories as fat more efficiently because we have slowed our RMR down.  

One thing that we do take from our Paleo ancestors is the genetic coding.  We are designed to adapt and grow to “weather” the circumstances.  If we are designed to adapt and grow, why are we trying to wither away and shrink?  Mainstream society says that it is popular and accepted to be thin.  On the other hand, it is also very popular to perform at high levels (ex: professional athletes).

The easy scapegoat for obesity and childhood obesity is fast food. I believe that it actually has very little to do with fast food and everything to do with the fast pace and advancements in technology in our society.  Fast paced society equals more stress, more time spent behind the desk, more work, less daily activity, higher cortisol levels, and less sleep. Kids and adults alike are not moving daily.  Yes, we live in the most exercised, bodybuilding, powerlifting, pilates, yoga, and crossfitting nation.

So, why are we so obese?  We don’t move daily.  We exercise 1-4 days a week, yet there are seven days a week.  Our lifestyles aren’t as active.  We sit in offices, in vehicles, on planes, in meetings, or at home.  Do we not need rest days?  Of course you do.  From training, not life.  Therefore, with all of this random exercising and dieting, we are losing only to gain it back if we do not adapt to an active lifestyle.  Does that mean that exercise is contradictive?   Absolutely not.  It means that you should get off of your rear-end and do more throughout the day everyday so that exercise can be super beneficial. Once that takes place, your healthy eating decisions and exercise routines will present the most optimal results.