weight loss answers  how did we get so fat

Modern lifestyles and genetics contribute to rising obesity rates

We are not as active as we used to be. We eat super-sized portions of greasy, processed food. And as a society we're getting older.

Combine these factors and you get a population in which nearly a quarter of the country is obese. It's a $100 billion burden that appears to be getting worse.

“The main reasons for the increase in the prevalence of obesity I believe have to do with modern lifestyle: We as a society produce food in large quantities and people have gotten used to eating large portions of food,” says endocrinologist David Schteingart, M.D., associate director of the General Clinical Research Center at the University of Michigan Health System.

Extra weight carries with it a host of medical problems. People who are overweight are three to five times more likely to have high blood pressure, and they're more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Heart attacks and stroke are also linked to obesity, as are certain cancers, including uterine cancer and gastrointestinal cancers.

At the same time, people tend not to be as physically active. Entertainment has gone from playing sports in the park to playing video game sports. And urban sprawl has made driving rather than walking or bicycling the standard method for getting around.