Reply #13: I think its a combination of both. [View All]

Years ago there were no convenience foods. You cooked from scratch. No frozen foods, no boxed mac and cheese, no long list of food additives in anything you ate or drank because it was not processed. Also, years ago the portion sizes were smaller. Much smaller. Add to that that even if you were not trying to exercise you did. No self propelled push mowers (or riding mowers!) so you really had to work to mow the lawn. No leaf blowers, snow blowers, weed wackers, etc. Just taking care of your yard you burned tons of calories. Most jobs were much less automated than today. Even if you worked in an office there was more physical exertion.

Today we have tons of fast food places, processed foods, instant this and that. Everything has tons of chemical preservatives and god knows what else. Tecnology has allowed us to be almost immobile, compared to our parents and grandparents. And portion sizes? They are a LOT bigger than they were for our parents and grandparents. To keep in shape today and eat right requires some effort. And also to cook meals that are fresh and without preservatives. Acitivity is no longer built into our daily lifestyles and the huge portion sizes do not help.