Reducing Calories Leads to Longer Life and Better Environment

The obesity epidemic is one of the major issues facing the developed world in the 21st century.  Too many people are eating far beyond what their bodies can handle.  It’s led to a number of health problems, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease and cancer; higher health premiums, which in America means unaffordable rates for many; and an increase in environmental damage, stemming from things like agricultural runoff, the transportation needed to provide food, etc.  We can all make the world a better place by limiting our calories to the actual number our bodies need.  

There is a scientific basis for the statement that reducing calories leads to longer life.  Not only do bigger people tend to die younger, but overeating means more heat is produced by the body, which generally causes any lifeform to age faster.  Just think about insects and rodents, who produce far more heat per pound than larger animals and, in some cases, only live a fraction of a percent as long.  The same goes for marine life, plants, and trees.  There’s a direct relationship to size, metabolism and aging; the smaller a species is, the faster it tends to eat, thus the faster it ages.    

Overeating also means that more free radicals are introduced to the body’s bloodstream, leading to faster decay in virtually all its organs.  Free radicals are the source of oxidation, which damages cell membranes and DNA, resulting in early cell death.  A healthy diet uses the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables to combat free radicals in the body.  The antioxidants bind to the free radicals, preventing them from floating around and damaging our cells.  

Fasting isn’t necessarily the most efficient way to eat less calories.  Often our bodies really do need a high number of calories to function well, especially athletes.  The key is to reduce our serving sizes to match our satiety.  If we feel full and keep eating, we are doing a grave disservice to our body and the environment.    

If the whole world ate at the rate we do in America, the food supply would quickly run out.  Extinction rates would increase: a scary thought considering how high they already are.  Water pollution would rise due to more pesticide usage.  Greenhouse gases would skyrocket due to all the transportation needed to bring more food to the cities.  There are many other environmental issues related to the obesity epidemic, including deforestation, waste, soil degradation... The list goes on.  For the sake of your health and the planet, don’t stuff yourself.