Millennials in the U.K. are on track to be the fattest generation on record. Experts expect as many as 70 percent of them to be overweight by the time they reach middle age.
In comparison, the U.K.’s Baby Boomer generation, born just after World War II, was roughly 50 percent overweight. The country had a 27 percent total obesity rate in 2015, according to the BBC. In America, 40 percent of the population is obese, but it’s unclear whether the trend for U.K. millennials holds true for the U.S.
“Extra body fat doesn’t just sit there; it sends messages around the body that can cause damage to cells. This damage can build up over time and increase the risk of cancer in the same way that damage from smoking causes cancer,” Professor Linda Bauld told the BBC. “While these estimates sound bleak, we can stop them becoming a reality. Millennials are known for following seemingly healthy food trends, but nothing beats a balanced diet. Eating plenty of fruit, vegetables and other fibre filled foods like whole grains, and cutting down on junk food is the best way to keep a healthy weight.”
Professor Russell Viner, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, claimed the country needs to take steps to prevent obesity from becoming normalized, an effort that is already well under way in the U.S.
Americans need to embrace fat people and stop criminalizing food, a college health instructor claimed in October.
ALSO WATCH:
Madison Krall, a University of Utah graduate teaching assistant and PhD student, addressed “internalized fatism,” “food shaming,” and more in an interview with Campus Reform.
“Stop laughing at fat jokes,” Krall told Campus Reform. “Stop judging people for their food choices. Stop criminalizing food.”
“Most people have internalized fatism, which leads to mental and physical destruction at the personal level and also shows up in the world in the forms of prejudice and discrimination we normally consider: name calling, bullying, body- and food shaming,” she said.
Krall was elaborating on comments she first made during an August TEDx Talk.
She critiqued people who told their friends they looked good after losing weight, saying the compliment suggests that the friend “didn’t look good beforehand” and that “fat is a bad thing.”
The scholar described her “thin privilege” as consisting of increased dating prospects on social media dating apps, finding many options for her size in clothing stores, and also being reassured that she will be comfortable in seats.
“Racial jokes and gay slurs are no longer tolerated in our society,” said Krall. “So why do we so readily abide humor made at a fat person’s expense? Fat is the last accepted prejudice.”
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