One of the main reasons why so many people have become overweight in the West is due to their eating too many calories. The consumption of more calories than are burned each day means that the body stores the extra calories as fat. The modern diet certainly allows a person to eat well beyond the calories they need to maintain their weight.
It is very informative to compare our consumption of calories with that of 100 years ago. In those days, the average person consumed 3,500 calories a day, which is approximately the same as we eat now. However, whereas in the early 1900s, most of the calories consumed were carbohydrates, and there was considerably less fat, modern fast food meals consist of almost 50% fat, and fat is a big part of the modern diet. In addition, the 1900s folk did a lot of exercise. They were more active in their work, and their hobbies also made them exercise more. In contrast, modern work environments encourage sedentary habits, and their hobbies tend to revolve around computers and television. As a consequence, while the 1900s peoples calories were burned as fuel that day, most of our calorie consumption ends up being stored as fat. Even exercise can...