Obesity has definitely increased and I’ve seen many hypotheses floated. The most convincing one to me so far has been simple sugar and the fact that sugar is now added to practically everything.

Other hypotheses I’ve seen include more sedentary jobs, endocrine disruptors, and cigarette smoking going away. Nicotine is a stimulant and an appetite suppressant.

I guess a combination of less nicotine and more sugar isn’t a bad one.

Of course it’s not that people were categorically more healthy back then. Heart disease was pretty rampant.