Historical Development of Obesity

Historical Development of Obesity

Increasing obesity cases every year cause us to address the condition of obesity in the past. Because knowing whether the increasing obesity cases were at this level in the past allows us to understand where we went wrong. What were the obesity rates worldwide in the past and what were the events that led to this level increase? In this article, we will examine the historical development and case rates of obesity.

• Obesity in the First Ages

The early humans lived on as hunter-gatherers. Basic foods in the diet list; animal flesh, wild plants and sea creatures. During this period, human beings obtained their food by hunting or gathering. If there was no food to hunt or gather, then people would starve. For people who can endure hunger for a maximum of 7 days, the importance of daily nutrition was very critical. Therefore, obesity was not seen in people who could not be fed sufficiently.

• Agricultural Society and Obesity

When did human beings switch to agricultural society, the first cases of obesity started to be seen in this period. In the agricultural society, where the first cities and cities began to be seen, houses were built and agriculture was carried out in areas close to these houses. People who could do agriculture were able to store their crops and get “surplus” crops. Especially crops like potatoes and rice were widely available for people interested in agriculture. During these times, barter dealing became widespread and people interested in agriculture could barter these products to buy any food. In other words, it was the first time to buy ready-made products without hunting or gathering for a product. People who were not in action and seeking faced obesity because they did not move enough and switched to a different type of diet.

• The Emergence of the First Obese Communities

The emergence of religions has enabled the increase of religious places. Churches, which became widespread especially in the Middle Ages, caused the clergy to live in abundance. People who lived without working and without the need for movement began to live in abundance. At this point, rates of obesity increased and the first obese communities began to emerge. While the slaves worked, the clergy is now portrayed as “fat” because this is indeed the case.

• Industrial Revolution and Obesity

The industrial revolution occurred about 300 years ago. The industrial revolution has resulted in more production with less manpower. In particular, the invention of steam-powered machines allowed people to achieve greater production and easier transportation of manufactured products. The increase in industrial products caused an increase in the population and naturally obesity rates also increased. But even 200 years ago, the rate of obesity was less than 5% of the world population.

• Technology Age and Obesity

A few years after the Second World War, the rate of obesity increased significantly. Among the reasons for this; There are reasons such as the widespread use of ready-to-eat foods, driving, office life and technology making human life easier. At the same time, the human population, which has increased enormously in the last 50 years, is a factor in the increase of obesity.

The introduction of the internet into our lives has led to the emergence of a completely different generation. The diet list, which increases in sugar and born fat, makes societies vulnerable to obesity. These periods, when access to food was not difficult as before, caused people to consume plenty of sugary and fatty foods from their seats. In addition, these periods when working from home increased, caused people to not move enough. As a result, more than 20% of the world population has been caught in obesity today and in our country, one out of every 5 men and one out of every 3 women are either obese or at the threshold level.

Related:

The Relationship Between Obesity and Psychological Problem

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