Millennials are the largest generation in history in more than one way. They are the first generation that will not increase life expectancy, due to obesity-related health issues, said a kinesiology and physical fitness and wellness professor.
A new study from York University’s Faculty of Health found it is harder to avoid obesity now than it was a few decades ago. According to the study, a 40-year-old now would have to eat less and exercise more to avoid obesity than someone of the same age in the 1970s.
Kendra Zenisek, an instructor of kinesiology and coordinator of physical fitness and wellness, said the results of this study means more frustration for future generations.
“There’s no quick fix," she said. "That makes it harder to stick with a lifestyle change. It's been a problem for [people in Generation X], it's been a problem for the baby boomers and it’s still gonna be a challenge for the Millennials as well.”
But when it comes to gaining, maintaining and losing weight, there's a lot more to it than people think, Zenisek said.
“Some of it is, yes, what we do, how we eat, what we eat, when we eat, any activity we engage in,” she said. “But some of it is genetics, some of it is maybe certain illnesses or conditions along with medications that individuals may take. So there is a wide possibility of influences. You can’t just say 3,500 calories is one pound in or out.”
Jagdish Khubchandani, an associate professor of community health education, said he knows for a fact obesity has dramatically increased in the U.S.
“It is also an established fact that our diet and lack of physical activity are heavy contributors," Khubchandani said.
People were about 10 percent heavier in 2008 than they would have been in 1971, according to the study. Although other research has shown eating less and exercising more will result in weight loss, it is proven to be ineffective in the long term.
Because obesity is a challenge among a large population in all generations, it could affect more than just health, Khubchandani said.
“If you look at some of the leading killers of people in the U.S., they are invariably associated with obesity,” he said. “This would mean that the future generations, due to obesity, will add to the pool of individuals living with chronic diseases. This would have major implications for public health, medical care and public or private spending on health care.”
There are ways to combat the odds against obesity today, however, and many agree action needs to be taken as soon as possible against it, Khubchandani said.
“We have forgotten the simple, healthy ways of living a productive life,” he said. “Individuals need to practice healthy behaviors. Health care professionals have to screen for and help treat and prevent obesity before it causes something like heart disease. Our social systems have to be improved. Our physical structures have to be changed, and access to healthy foods has to increase.”
Along with that, Zenisek said people have to want to make that change in order for anything to stick.
“It’s a lifestyle approach. Look at the big picture and step back and say, 'What am I willing to do every day from this point forward?' versus, 'What’s the next 21-day challenge?'” she said.
Freshman respiratory therapy major Alaina Longere said she didn’t really notice obesity as a problem throughout campus because people don’t classify themselves as obese. This can be caused by a weight misperception, something Khubchandani has studied.
“People are getting less active because they don’t see it as a problem when it really is," Longere said. "We should make healthier foods cheaper and try harder to persuade people to eat healthy and start exercising more than we already are."
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