Calorie Intake Stays The Same, But Lack Of Physical Activity Drives Obesity Rate Upward

New U.S. research based on data from a national survey on health confirms again that a sedentary lifestyle – not just eating behaviors – is a significant contributor to the obesity problem in this country. The research shows a major decline in physical activity and a sharp increase in body mass index (BMI) over the last two decades. The number of U.S. adult women who said they did not exercise jumped from 19.1 percent in 1994 to 51.7 percent in 2010. The number of men who did not exercise went from 11.4 percent in 1994 to 43.5 percent. By 2010, BMI had increased among both men and women, most dramatically among women aged 18-39. Though the obesity rate rose continuously over those 20 years, total daily intake of calories, fat, carbohydrates, and protein did not change significantly.