Losing weight in the 1980s was much easier: let’s see why

All the people who have tried to lose the extra pounds at least once in their life know well that it is not a simple thing. Even when strict diets are respected and when practicing the most varied physical exercises, we realize that losing weight can take more time and effort than expected. A research conducted at York University in Toronto showed that it was much easier to lose weight in 1980.

36,400 American foods consumed between 1971 and 2008 and the frequency with which 14,419 adults aged about 30 have practiced physical activity in these reference years were analyzed. The results spoke clearly. With the same foods and calories consumed, the body mass index of our contemporaries is 2.3 points higher than in 1988. The reason? There are other factors that contribute to weight gain. First of all, the foods we eat today are 10% fatter and heavier than those of the past. Furthermore, lifestyle, the environment in which we live, genetics, the use of certain drugs are all factors that have repercussions on weight.

There are therefore centuries-old differences in the relationship between the intake of calories and the physical activity carried out to fight obesity. Today, to avoid getting fat, adults need to eat less and work out more than in previous generations. Today's young people who want to keep fit are therefore destined to "suffer" a little more than their parents or grandparents.