The American Obesity Epidemic Is Getting Worse

In 1994, the Institute of Food Technologists issued a Scientific Status Summary that identified facts about human obesity necessary for its treatment. It said that while genetics clearly defined the distribution of body mass, genetic change since the Stone Age had been virtually nil. The growing epidemic had been fueled by more current factors, e.g., excess use of high-fat (feedlot) animal and processed dairy foods, added sugars, and sedentary lifestyles. Among the treatment recommendations were…