This society is paying the penalty for leading a more or less sedentary life. This is a life where people do little or no  physical activity. This, coupled with excessive fat diets have spawned a population of overweight people not to mention that there are around 350,000 deaths each year in the United States alone due to obesity. In a way, we cannot blame the public themselves as society has really altered since the 1st century. In those days, people used to be exceptionally active because the men had to hunt and build houses and fight wars while the women had to look after the home and the land. These days, people work in offices and drive there. Now their idea of work is sitting behind a desk all day. This is a very low level of activity all while feeding your body with snacks and other foods that are rich in trans fats, protein and carbohydrates. This is a guaranteed recipe for obesity and that is what almost 40% of the population of western countries are grappling with.