Why did obesity seem less common in the 80s? Was it lifestyle, food, or something else?
By JugglingNothing on
I’ve been thinking a lot about how different everyday life seemed back in the 80s and 90s, especially when it comes to weight and health.
From what I’ve heard from older family members (and just looking at old photos and videos), it seems like far fewer people were dealing with obesity compared to today. I know it’s a complicated issue, but a few things about that era stand out to me.
For one, many families were still getting by on a single income. That meant there was often someone at home who had time to cook meals from scratch. Dinner was usually real food cooked in the kitchen rather than something heavily processed or prepackaged.
Fast food also seemed like more of an occasional treat rather than something people relied on several times a week. And while ready-to-eat meals existed, there really weren’t that many convenient options compared to today’s frozen and ultra-processed foods, which may have contributed to healthier eating habits and lower obesity rates in the past.