Why Did Americans Suddenly Get Fat in the 1980s?
Daily Kos • • health
Key Points:
- Obesity rates in the US remained stable for decades but sharply increased between 1976 and 1980, doubling adult obesity prevalence from around 15% to over 30% in two decades, indicating environmental rather than genetic causes.
- Government dietary guidelines in the late 1970s promoted low-fat diets, leading food manufacturers to replace fats with high amounts of sugar and refined starches, resulting in highly processed, hyper-palatable foods detrimental to metabolic health.
- High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption surged by about 1,000% from 1970 to 1990, becoming a cheap and sweet additive in many processed foods, significantly increasing overall added sugar intake.
- Portion sizes increased substantially during
