Millennials, Gen Y need to eat less, work out more than previous generations to avoid obesity: research

According to a recently published report that calls into question the ethics of the group that published it, 25-year-olds are now faced with the task of exercising harder while eating less than their predecessors if they hope to lose weight.

Coming out of York University, this study certainly boasts impressive numbers by analyzing data of almost 36,400 Americans from 1971 to 2008. According to this data, the American diet shifted to one heavier in carbs, and the current younger generation is 10% heavier than the previous one.

Unfortunately, this kind of study choose a very poor data source. The biggest error is the fact that the data they pulled is entirely self-reported; high-quality research has found that many individuals are literally incapable of honest self-documentation. This alone means that the data they used is extremely unreliable. The second major error is their incorrect attitude toward weight loss.

When interviewed, researcher Jennifer Kuk went on to state that weight management is more than calories in, calories out, when, in fact, the Law of Thermodynamics says otherwise.

Though there is truth in the idea that bodies respond differently to different diets because of our differing genetic factors, that’s not enough to override one of the basic laws of physics.

Instead of pointing out that we should shift back to a diet higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates, Kuk gives excuses for obesity, fueling the already unhealthy mentality that diet and exercise aren’t enough to result in weight loss.

Source:

News.YorkU.ca