The HTS Body Recomposition Operating System
Obesity has Steadily Increased, Causing a Multitude of Problems
Over the last three decades the prevalence of obesity has steadily increased and now 42.4% of Americans are obese. Generation X (those born between 1960 and 1980) is the most obese generation to date with an obesity rate of 44.8% in 2018 (www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db360-h.pdf). This trend doesn't seem to be slowing or reversing anytime. It is estimated that by by 2030, 51% of the population will be obese, with a 130% increase in severe obesity (www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379712001468). People who are obese are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including: death, hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, several cancers, body pain, difficulty with physical function, depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders (www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html).
Aging and Inactivity is Associated with Loss of Muscle Mass
Sarcopenia is a condition characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. Although it is primarily a disease of the elderly, its development may be associated with conditions that are not exclusively seen in older persons. Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength and it is strictly correlated with physical disability, poor quality of life and death. Risk factors for sarcopenia include age, gender and level of physical activity (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4269139/).
Beginning as early as the 4th decade of life, evidence suggests that skeletal muscle mass and skeletal muscle strength decline in a linear fashion, with up to 50% of mass being lost by the 8th decade of life [1]. Given that muscle mass accounts for up to 60% of body mass, pathological changes to this important metabolically active tissue can have profound consequences on the older adult. The consequences of sarcopenia are often severe in older adults, as the strength and functional declines associated with sarcopenia can in turn contribute to a number of adverse health outcomes, including loss of function, disability, and frailty (www.ncbi.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066461/).
Worsening Body Composition & The New Normal
The combination of increasing body fat and continual loss of muscle mass
results in worsening body composition at all ages. This syndrome is not limited to the 40 or 50-somethings, there is the growing prevalence in teenagers, 20, and 30 year-olds. We have seen a dramatic acceleration in the last few years with COVID-19 lockdowns, increased stress, sleep disturbances, discouraged physical activity, increased use of technology, and loss of the physicality of modern life and societal acceptance of obesity.
The new normal is a life of physical comfort, increased mental stress and anxiety, social isolation, continual mental stimulation, and use of highly abundant processed foods to medicate ourselves. We are all growing larger, weaker and sicker. Just about all of us are surrounded by this environment and we have grown accustom to seeing a close to 50% rate of obesity in the people around us.
Ironically, Photoshopped or highly-filtered images bombard us on social media and in traditional print and digital media leaves us with a complicated feelings of angst, depression, and body dysmorphia. These feeling also make us even more gullible and desperate for the $71 billion diet and weight loss industries' latest quick-fix solution.
Wired for Obesity
Our Modern Life is the perfect environment to grow obese
Strenuous physical activity was once a significant part of our daily lives. But, now almost all of it has been replaced with sedentary activity. We have been conditioned to avoid pain, conserve energy and seek pleasure instead. This has lead to severe physical and psychological consequences. The most important way to break this cycle is to seek strenuous physical activity on a daily basis, combined with
Our modern life is the perfect environment to grow obese.
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Additional Information
The HTS Food Rules distill down the complicated mess that is healthy eating into five, research-backed, actionable steps. The Food Rules gives you personalized guidance to modify your nutrition to help improve your body composition when you start strength training.
