It sits silently in a corner of your kitchen ready to do your bidding whenever asked. You can pop open its door put in foodstuffs, punch a few buttons and hey presto! - a minute later you have those same foodstuffs nice and warmed up for you. A pretty innocuous (and very handy) little kitchen gadget you would think, right?

Well think again, because at the prestigious British Cheltenham Science Festival, the invention (and eventual popularity) of the microwave is one of three factors being considered as the reason for the meteoric rise in obesity levels in the country. Oh, just so you know, the other two factors are the creation of the supermarket and the end of the Second World War!

Did microwaves ’spark’ obesity? asks a BBC news article which describes a debate in which three experts were asked when the nation’s obesity crisis really began and what could be the probable causes.

Professor Wardle who is professor of clinical psychology at University College London said: “I looked at the figures showing rates of obesity in the population over many years and it seem very clear it began between 1984 and 1987.

“So then we looked at what changes were going on in the food and activity world at that time and one of the striking changes was there were differences in the speed with which we could prepare a meal as a consequence of the introduction of microwaves.”

So it turns out that the availability of easy-to-prepare meals and the hapless machine that facilitates their easy consumption are to be blamed for the millions of obese folks who put more of these foods into their mouths than they needed in the first place.

A couple of other debaters Professor Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City University in London and Professor Ken Fox, professor of exercise and health science at the University of Bristol respectively feel that supermarkets and world war 2 are to blame:

“Co-op introduced the supermarket retail format to Britain, heralding the late 20th century food revolution in which prices have tumbled, car use rocketed, physical activity plummeted and the NHS was born which picks up the pieces.”

… and …

“The end of the war saw technology starting to replace physical effort in both work and leisure.”

In related news, FitnessMantra would like to take the opportunity to turn your attention to a couple of other probable causes of obesity:

1984: The Apple Macintosh

Critics blame the revolutionary and cute-looking Macintosh for propagating a tidal wave of obesity in the 80s because it created a generation of lazy people who sat indefinitely in front of these machines, eating nonstop and creating colorful documents and artwork while their garbage overflowed from their bins and their lawn overgrew to reach Amazon rain forest levels. Some psychiatrists also claim that the word “Apple” was a subliminal message to get people to eat while working, while the word “Macintosh” (which means raincoat) suggested to users that the weather was not good outside and they should stay inside longer.

1985: The Nintendo Entertainment System

Who can forget Donkey Kong, the ape-villain who takes Pauline captive and throws barrels at our diminutive hero, Mario, as he tries to recuse the fair maiden? Certainly not the scores of kids who became captive to their couches when Nintendo came out with their ground-breaking game system in 1985.

Today a sizeable chunk (these puns happen, you know) of those children are obese and have decided to blame Nintendo for robbing them of their ability to go outside and enjoy some physical activity. “The only exercise I got was for my thumbs as I furiously pressed ‘Left’ and ‘Jump’ about a 100 times a minute” said Jevaughn, a portly teenager with amazingly well-developed thumbs.

But it turns out there was an upside: “I am really good at hitching a ride, though”, he added as he stuck out his thumb in peak traffic and a taxi collided with it, suffering massive frontal damage in the process.

See? It’s easy when you know how!

Meanwhile …

Dr David Haslam, clinical director of the National Obesity Forum said all the theories could have contributed to rising levels of obesity and there was no one cause. “Microwaves are a double-edged sword because they are also a very healthy way of cooking food and supermarkets sell healthy food if people choose to buy it.”

You think?

Technorati Tags: health, fitness, nutrition, exercise, obesity, microwave oven

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Welcome to “FitnessMantra Weekend”, your once-a-week health news update. As always you can also stay updated with the latest in fitness news by subscribing separately to the Fitness Mantra del.icio.us feed.

Think of the word “malnourished” and I am sure you see unfortunate images of starving Somalian children in your mind which is why when you look at an overweight person on the street, the last thing to cross your mind would be “My Goodness! He’s so malnourished!” Yet that is precisely what may be the case for many a so-called “fat person”!

Many Britons overweight, malnourished, a surprising article on MSNBC explains this apparent contradiction in terms. Dr. Alastair McKinlay, a gastroenterologist puts it bluntly: “There’s a widely held misconception that if you’re fat, you can’t be malnourished.”

Yet there is apparently no other word for the thousands of Britons who outwardly appear portly and “nourished”, but who, in reality are “medically malnourished” because their diet is largely composed of fat, salt and empty calories. The absence of fruits and vegetables in the popular diet, means there is a grave absence of the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins and fiber that together are the hallmark of true nourishment.

There’s more to this than meets the eye:

While malnourished fat people are hardly in danger of starvation, other health problems are possible along with obesity-related complications like diabetes and heart disease. Once they start losing weight, malnourished people may actually burn their own tissue, including muscle, rather than fat.

Do read Many Britons overweight - and malnourished in its entirety to understand why eating well is different from eating right.

More health and fitness stories from this week follow:

1. What Replaces Those Trans Fats May Be Almost as Bad for You: In response to the 2006 FDA requirement that trans fats be listed on nutrition labels, makers of packaged goods from potato chips to Oreos have brought their totals down to zero. Does this mean that junk food is now the new health food? “No!”
2. Yoga tested as back pain therapy: The potential for yoga to be used to treat low back pain is being investigated by researchers.
3. UN health agency calls for ‘trans fat-free Americas’: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), a regional arm of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), called today for the elimination of industrial trans fats from food supplies throughout the Americas in order to prevent heart attacks.
4. Many Britons overweight - and malnourished: It may be obvious that most Britons are overweight. What isn’t so obvious is that at least 2 million of them are likely malnourished - and that includes some of the people who are too fat.
5. French lessons: Eat petite, be petite: Obesity is far less common in France than in the United States, and some researchers contend that smaller French portions are a key reason.
6. Drinking coffee may cut liver cancer risk: Drinking coffee appears to lower the risk of developing liver cancer, according to findings published in the medical journal Gastroenterology.
7. Many Americans do maintain weight loss: Though dieters often see their weight “yo-yo,” a new national survey suggests that many Americans do fairly well at keeping the pounds off.
8. Pupils ‘unaware of green beans’: Some primary school children have never heard of green beans, according to a new study.
9. ‘Exercise after eating’ diet tip: Exercising after meals can help promote weight loss by boosting hormones that suppress appetite, say UK scientists.
10. Losers Are Just Plain Lucky: Why some people struggle more than others to shed pounds is a mystery … but a new report shows that eating according to the glycemic index may be a way for some people to overcome this disadvantage.
11. Omega-3 fatty acids can lower blood pressure: A diet with liberal servings of fish, nuts and seeds rich in nutrients called omega-3 fatty acids can help lower a person’s blood pressure, according to a study.
12. Entertaining TV shows make you eat more: People eat more when they are glued to the television, and the more entertaining the program, the more they eat, according to new research.

Get the best health and fitness stories of the week in your RSS inbox.

Have a great weekend!

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