We've been hearing about the rise in obesity in the population - not just in First World countries but elsewhere also. Studies suggest a link between our extremely unhealthy fast-food, high-sugar diets combined with a sedentary lifestyle (like sitting in front of the computer all day). We eat poorly and exercise less. Simple really... and so our waistlines get bigger and we pack on the pounds.
Because we eat poorly, without meeting the nutritional needs of our bodies, we crave food... and so we eat more of the same poor food. We don't eat nutrition... we eat calories... and our bodies pack on the calories as fat... and ask for more food to try to meet nutritional demands - quite a vicious cycle.
But it doesn't just end there... besides the obvious health concerns with an increasingly obese population (2/3 of Americans are overweight and 1/3 of Americans are obese)... a study has recently come out linking obesity in pregnant women and autism. Women who are obese during pregnancy, or who develop diabetes during pregnancy, have a much higher risk of giving birth to a child with autism and/or other cognitive or developmental delays.
It used to be that the autism rate was 1 in 2500.
In 2009, it was 1 in 110.
In 2012, it is 1 in 80.
Researchers are clear that other factors are involved - genetics, pollution, etc. But given the obesity epidemic... one wonders what our future population will look like...
No comments:
Post a Comment