The first commercial microwave ovens were introduced in 1946, but they were large, expensive, and used only in commercial establishments like restaurants and on ships. The first home-use countertop microwave was sold by Amana in 1967 for about $495 (roughly $5,000 in today’s money), a price still out of reach for most families. Microwaves became a common household appliance in the late 1970s and especially the 1980s, after technological advancements made them more affordable.
Personally, I remember getting my first microwave oven in 1984 when I was a Navy doctor. It was sooooo thrilling to be able to make a baked potato in a few minutes, warm up cold food quickly, make popcorn without having to mess with the stove (anyone out there remember JiffyPop?) and sundry other acts of food prep convenience.
Let’a turn to some stats now about the prevalence of obesity in the United States:
- “Before” microwaves existed in household 12%
- “After” every household containing a microwave (now): 38%
Is this a coincidence? Hardly: Microwaves have paved the way for the widespread use of:
- Processed, frozen section meals
- Frozen pizzas that can be prepared in minutes
- High caloric snacks (“Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn”)
Many more bullet points may be added to this list of what weight-derailing foods and snacks can be easily and quickly made in the microwave.
This entry is not meant to imply that the introduction of microwave ovens is the sole reason for the more than 3X increase in obesity rates in our country. It is not the microwave itself that has produced the incredible increase in poor weight control…rather, it is the foods we buy to place into the microwave.
During your long-term weight control efforts please take a step back and analyze YOUR use of the microwave and make the necessary changes to turn this incredible invention into something that helps our journey to better health and happiness….not derail that quest.
And one of the Top Ten songs of 1984 when the YOUNG Dr. Posner got his first microwave..enjoy Cyndi Lauper.
