A worrying increase in the number of overweight young people has been observed in recent years in western countries. The causes are undoubtedly various, but among them stand out the easy access to food and a sedentary lifestyle. Actually, a few simple tricks would be enough to reverse this trend.
First of all, since the US economic boom of the 1920s, supermarkets and fast-food restaurants have become an easy and cheap way for families to buy food. Especially for younger people, snacks and junk food have become the bread and butter. In addition to this, public and private transport became widespread during the same period, which facilitated the spread of a very sedentary lifestyle. These aspects have increasingly increased over the last century to the point where the phenomenon of childhood obesity is now widespread.
On the one hand, it would be enough for Western families to start buying organic food again. For example, buying fruit and vegetables at the farmers’ market so that they can offer their children a healthy and varied diet. On the other hand, a good weekly eating plan would help a lot to reduce eating disorders such as obesity. Indeed, if parents planned their children’s meals balancing all the nutrients, it would be easier for their children to feel full, reducing the risk of buying snacks from the vending machines at school for example.
In conclusion, a few straightforward changes could effectively fight this phenomenon and encourage healthier lifestyles among young people in Western societies.