Technological Advancements In The 1800s

Merriam Webster’s Medical Dictionary defines obesity as: “a condition that is characterized by excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body and that in an adult is typically indicated by a body mass index of 30 or greater”. Over the past few decades, countries around the world have seen an increase in this condition; the most prevalent of these countries being The United States of America. The obesity epidemic has led to arguments about the cause of rising obesity rates and whether society should be concerned. Jobs and lifestyles have become more sedentary, entertainment options have increased, and cheap and tasty food has become available in ways that didn’t seem possible two centuries ago. Technological advancements since the 1800s

Although this used to be an accurate representation of agricultural work, major technological advancements in the industry have caused it to become increasingly mechanicalized and associated with decreased energy expenditure and increased obesity rates. The first major farming technologies introduced were grain harvesters in the early 1800s; “early machines still required the sheaves to be bound by hand” but by the end of the century, the entire process was mechanized (Moore). After grain harvesters, the technology just kept coming: threshers, steam engines, combines, and eventually gasoline trucks and tractors all played a role in transforming farming from an active and physically challenging career choice to a relatively sedentary job. As long as farmers take care of their machines, they don’t have to worry about physically exerting themselves out in the

Society is demanding labor-saving devices and cheap, tasty food. The satisfaction of these demands is keeping people on their couches while stuffing them full of calories that they aren’t using. Technology that has been introduced at work and in the home has lowered the amount of time and energy we must use to complete tasks throughout the day. There are no longer assembly-line-type jobs; near everything that is built or put together is done by machines. This trend away from manual labor can be seen everywhere from farming to construction. People have traded in their work gloves for office desks, and suppliers are perfectly content with this change because they’ve discovered that mechanization is the way to go in order to remain competitive in the market. The trend can also be seen in simple day-to-day house chores. With new devices that clean peoples’ homes, wash their dishes and clothes, and cook their food, people have more time on their hands than ever; but with an increase in sedentary leisure-time activities like watching T.V., playing games, and the browsing the internet, people aren’t choosing to use the extra time to burn off all the extra calories that they are consuming. In today’s economy, physical activity is in a tough competition with the other options that are available to us. People don’t like spending money if they don’t have to;