Okay fair warning here, I want to tell you the story of how I think America got fat and this is just my two cents.
Almost every Kinesiology class I took in college presented a slideshow of America's BMI and how it changed (exploded) over time. The gist was that every year beginning around 1980, it got worse. Fitness as an industry also started getting popular around this time and trends such as aerobics, jazzercise, and taking supplements became the solution to the weight loss woes of the 80's.
As the waist lines continued growing, so too did the fitness, dieting, and supplement businesses. Today we have fitness books, fitness DVD's, fitness TV stations, 24 hour gyms, bodybuilding, cross fit, powerlifting, strongman, boxing gyms, GNC's, Vitamin Shoppes, weight watchers, South Beach, Atkins, ZONE, etc etc and on and on... I don't think I need to elaborate. Fitness and supplements are a mega mega ultra sized $50 billion plus industry. And despite the fitness chaos, the USA is still gaining weight to the current tune of greater than 60% are overweight and 30% are obese.
The fitness industry is a major part of the problem.
Time out. Yes, XP Fitness is a part of the fitness boom also but only as a matter of timing. I think we are different and I'll explain why.
If all that money and resources are working to improve the fitness of the USA, why is the country not in better shape? Rather, for that kind of money, why is the US population not in phenomenal tip top shape? Well perhaps the major causes of weight gain in the first place have not been addressed. In all rationality, there is no supplement or diet or exercise hack that can shortcut you into being fitter.
Since the weight gain trend began in the 80's we have been looking to technology to find the solution for us. We have been looking for a quick fix. It has stimulated lots of business ideas in fitness and nutrition but truly the answers to our fitness problems do not lie in the technology of the future but rather the lifestyles of our past.
There was no obesity in the 1950s. What did they eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? How physically active were they? Until we adopt a healthier and more active lifestyle with appropriate physical challenges and healthy nutritious meals, we are not going to get better.
XP Fitness is not a fad or some new idea to "lose weight fast." We aren't here to make a quick buck either. We are here to educate and to try and make a difference in this trend toward lifestyle sickness in Western culture. We love technology and how it helps us share our message. Our dreams are big and our strategy is simple. Lets go back in time.
What do you think will help people adopt a healthier lifestyle? Love to hear your thoughts and comments below.
Sincerely,
Scott Middleton, CSCS
XP Fitness Coach
Alt Sources:
http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/default.aspx?indid=1655
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/100-million-dieters-20-billion-weight-loss-industry/story?id=16297197