But there is one difference. If recent trends continue, it is only a matter of time before deaths from obesity-related illnesses overtake those related to smoking. Gaining weight is a result of consuming more calories than are burned. With modernization, caloric intake has climbed. Over the last two decades, caloric intake in the United States has risen nearly 10 percent for men and 7 percent for women.
Modern diets are rich in fat and sugar.
In addition to sugars that occur naturally in food, the average American diet now includes 20 teaspoons of added sugar a day, much of it in soft drinks and prepared foods. Unfortunately, diets in developing countries, especially in urban areas, are moving in this same direction. While caloric intake has been rising, exercise has been declining. The latest U.S. survey shows that 57 percent of Americans exercise only occasionally or not at all, a number that corresponds closely with the share of the population that is overweight. Economic modernization has systematically eliminated exercise from our lives.