During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity within the United States. In 2010, there wasn’t a single state in the nation with an obesity rate below 20%.  That is 1 out of every 5 Americans classified as obese. There were 36 states with an obesity rate with obesity rates of 25% or more and 12 states had an obesity rate of 30% or more.  It is a common misconception that obesity rates have risen due to inactivity.  According to a study posted in the international Journal of Obesity, the people have been just as active as they were in the 1980’s. 

The rise in obesity comes from people eating, on average, 200 more calories a day than they did in the 1980’s.  In the 1980’s, products such as coca cola were reserved for special occasions.  Today, coca cola is a staple of the American diet and make up 7% of all calories consumed, making it the most consumed food in an American diet. 

Another reason for the rise in calorie consumption comes is companies fusing foods to create the next insatiable snack.  For example, Nacho Cheese Doritos combines three different types of cheese with salt and oil.  The purpose of these combinations is to create a taste that is different and entertaining.  This has been a highly lucrative process and the creation of these “entertainment” foods causes the calorie content to consistently rise in available snacks. 

Humans rarely use their body to tell them when they are full and typically rely on external cues such as whether there is food available in front of them.  Over time, portion size has increased to increase consumption and revenue.  For example, McDonalds used to offer a small bag of fries with 200 calories.  Today, that same small order of fries contains two hundred and thirty calories.  When you add in the extra 15 calories per additional ketchup bag and the increased size of a small soda you begin to see how easy it is for Americans to consume an extra 200 calories per day.