Jane Fonda does a workout in 1979. Photo / Getty Images
Jane Fonda does a workout in 1979. Photo / Getty Images
It was easier to stay slim in the 1980s than it is now, researchers have found.
You can eat the same amount of calories as someone did back then, and get the same level of exercise, but you will still weigh more.
The difference amounts to an increase of 2.3on the body mass index, an assessment of weight, where between 18.5 and 24.9 is regarded as a healthy range for adults.
The reasons are not clear, but scientists believe different lifestyle factors between now and the era when Jane Fonda began selling exercise videos must be the cause.
Researchers looked at data of more than 36,000 people in the US tracked between 1971 and 2008. Professor Jennifer Kuk, of York University in Toronto, said her research suggests a 25-year-old today has to eat less and exercise more just to be same weight as their parents were at the same age. 'Maintaining a healthy body weight is now more challenging than ever,' she said.
The study, published in the journal Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, suggests pesticides and chemicals in food packaging which may be altering our hormones, increased anti-depressant use, artificial sweeteners and a change in gut bacteria may help explain why people might be fatter than in the 1980s despite similar diets.
