Children and Teens Gained Weight During the Pandemic
npr.org
npr.org
Obesity was almost non existent 100 years ago, even 50 years ago. The vast majority of obesity is caused by poor diet (in part due to our food supply, in large part also due to our choices) and lack of exercise. There are thyroid issues, there’s more chemicals in stuff we don’t quite understand the effects of, but the majority of it by far is individual behavior.
The major changes are: food supply (more addictive, more calorie-dense, etc), more sedentary lifestyles (tech creating mass convenience in everything from shopping to traveling to entertainment, etc), and individual choices (influenced by both the above, but also increasing acceptance of obesity, mental health, etc)