Why Weren't People In The 1950s As Obese As People Are Today

It appears the simple answer is that people eat more calories today. From the CDC:

The study finds U.S. women increased their daily calorie consumption 22 percent between 1971 and 2000, from 1542 calories per day to 1877 calories. During the same period the calorie intake for men increased 7 percent from 2450 calories per day to 2618 calories.

The change is mainly due to an increase in carbohydrate consumption. These are from foods that are rich in starch or sugar. Fat and protein consumption are about the same.

The article doesn't say what could be causing the increasing consumption of carbohydrates but the cheap cost and plentiful nature of processed sugary foods in modern society might be why.
Ruth: I'd also guess the great War on Fat played a huge part. That's the "common wisdom" I grew up with: avoid ALL fats, eat as much bread as you want. My parents are both trying to lose weight, but it's very hard to break them of the mentality that it'll happen if they stop eating cheese and just eat huge bowls of pasta and rice every night.

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