Noting that Americans have become more overweight during the past 20 or more years, plus my direct observation, leads me to think that it is the younger generations of Americans that are getting heavier. As the elderly and less-overweight pass, and are replaced by younger, bigger young people, the percentage of those obese increases. Of course, this still doesn't answer the question of WHY this would occur, but my guess is both type of diet and portion sizes are different for the elderly vs. the young. And activity levels are also different. Ex: When I was a kid, we ate home-cooked meals rather than the fast food diets so many eat today. My parents didn't let us guzzle soda non-stop either. Plus, as a kid I was always outdoors . . walking, riding my bike, chasing after friends . . . whereas so many today have sedentary pursuits (DVD movies, videos games, computers). A friend observed that my struggles with weight have occurred since about 2000 . . which is the year I got my first computer with internet access . . . hmmm.
(I was watching a TV program regarding "Baseball's Golden Era", and it featured the oldest major league baseball park, Fenway in Boston. The noted how "intimate" that old park is . . . narrower seats, with rows spaced close together. A park built almost 100 years ago for a smaller bunch of Americans.)
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