What Causes Obesity?

[Retro]

Well, what? A simple question with a lot of complex variables and an unclear answer, but genetics plays a big part in it. Yes, the overweight really can blame their genes for it.

One thing that comes across from all this is that it's not the overweight person's fault that they're overweight, so it should be treated as a medical condition like any other and the overweight can stop feeling guilty about it. Hopefully, science will finally beat this problem once and for all in the not too distant future. Would be nice if all those useless, ineffective diet regimes that make the diet industry millions went away and we had a practical way to beat it instead, wouldn't it?

Sabine Hossenfelder once again applies her razer sharp scientific mind to a complex subject and explains it clearly in simple terms. Check it out.

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[Mars]

@ Retro

Her presentation is clear and she seems to cover the latest research on the subject. She also summarizes it by saying that it is difficult to tell 'cause and effect', when it comes to obesity.

When it comes to viruses and chemicals as factors to blame for the global wave of obesity, she rightly says: "the headlines are bigger than the evidence".

Personally I think that the availability of food, especially the ready made stuff is a factor. I believe that processed food has a big part to play in enlarging people's waistlines: 'Just pop in the microwave, 5 minutes. Done.'

Easy, takes no time, but not really very good for you.

 

[Retro]

Personally I think that the availability of food, especially the ready made stuff is a factor. I believe that processed food has a big part to play in enlarging people's waistlines: 'Just pop in the microwave, 5 minutes. Done.'

I'll go one further.

The food is full of tasty ingredients made of all the crap one shouldn't eat, of course, carefully engineered to make you want more and not much nutrients. This leads one to feel hungry and / or cravy later, leading to more food intake to make up for it. On top of that, the direct health effects of those ingredients are bad too, leading to a vicious cycle. The biggest offenders of course, are highly sugared foods like chocolate (generally around 50% sugar), cakes and cereals. Fabulous for creating type 2 diabetes, everybody's favourite illness.

I've noticed the difference when I have somethng with actual nutrition in it. Satisfying, not hungry for hours and when I am eventually hungry, it doesn't have that craving desperation to it that can happen otherwise. Yeah, the food industry has an awful lot to answer for.

Add in all the other factors discussed there, especially the genetic one, and no wonder there's an obesity epidemic in developed countries.

And yeah, Sabine tells it like it is. No sugar coating and no overblown claims, just clear explanations with a dash of deadpan humour, this is properly researched science. She's a well known physicist with a big reputation, so no wonder. One of the best channels on YouTube.

 

[wolfdeer]

There are SO many different causes of obesity. Genetics included! I think your lifestyle and eating habits are the main contributors to obesity. I don't believe that your genetics can be the cause of extreme obesity; it's completely unnatural.

I'm about to watch the video and see what she says about this subject.

(Edit) I completely agree that obesity can be caused by plastic. We eat it for crying out loud! But a virus? I don't know...