In an amazing coincidence, the world is getting fatter as it's getting richer.
The WHO believes there is a world-wide epidemic: "Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, with more than 1 billion adults overweight -- at least 300 million of them clinically obese -- and is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability." Indeed, some say that "epidemic" is simply not a big enough word to describe the size of the overweight problem. "The word 'epidemic' doesn't even do this justice. It is one of the most profound medical crises we've had in generations," said Eric Topol, chief of cardiology at a US clinic in Cleveland. ...Naturally, this "epidemic" prompts many fascists to cry out for government intervention, but what's the point?We are not being killed off by an obesity epidemic, although many people are plumper. In the developed world, work has become less physical and food is more abundant. We are living longer, healthier lives. However, there are some negative cultural factors. Too often snacking has replaced the family meal and kids are getting less exercise as parents drive them everywhere, too fearful to let them walk the streets.
For thousands of years the prime struggle of humanity was to kill enough food to feed your family. Thanks to technology, we're past that, and the genes that once served us so well are starting to fall into disrepute. Our bodies don't need to use calories so efficiently, and storing fat for later no longer yields a useful survival advantage -- in fact, it may make you less able to survive. The solution isn't to force people to eat better and exercise more if they don't want to, the solution is to wait.
Within a few generations the fattest genes will be weeded out of the population as fat people die earlier and have fewer children. The problem -- with respect to the human population as a whole -- is self-correcting. Those of us born with less efficient metabolisms will have more kids and pass our genes on, and in a few hundred years humans may all require the 4000 calories a day we Americans love to shovel down our gullets.
"some say that "epidemic" is simply not a big enough word to describe the size of the overweight problem"
just say pandemic. Bam, problem solved. or did I miss the point entirely?
I think you may be overestimating evolution. It's not really about "survival of the fittest" so much as "survival of all that aren't so horrendously unfit that they'll die before they reproduce."
If being obesity reduces childbearing by even 1% or less, it's frequency will eventually approach zero. I expect it has a much greater effect even than that.
This isn't even "evolution" though, it's simply sexually-selected genetic drift within a genome.
Keep in mind that the government created millions more "obese" people when they "updated" their height/weight charts. Under these charts, even someone who is a little athletic (i.e. muscular) is "obese" since they are too heavy for their height. For example, Governor Ahnold is "obese" under these charts. So are nearly all male athletes (the ones that aren't really fat like linemen).
Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so government statistics that site obesity have to be taken with a grain of salt.
DM: That's a good point, too, and yet another reason for government to quit being involved in so much trivial stuff.
I'll go you one better - the height and weight actuarial tables we're originally developed by Met Life; they were done so with almost no scientific grounding but have been almost universally adopted as gospel. And there is even some anecdotal evidence to suggest they may have intentionally "fattened" the numbers to ensure more people would be found obese, so they could then charge a larger premium to that group. Additionally, taller people are typically found to be even fatter (falsely) by the tables, and on average we're not only growing wider as a society, we're growing taller.
To my knowledge, no US government entity has ever published a set of official height/weight standards but the data in the Met Life were repeatedly referenced in various reports and studies, giving them a false validity. Finally, in 1995 the body mass index (BMI) was instituted as the means test for obesity, so you typically won't see height and weight referenced anymore.
In any event, our society is getting fatter and this obesity is causing and will continue to cause a major strain on our health care system. I don't really want the government involved either - if for no other reason than they'll just screw things up worse - but something has to be done. Here's my oversimplified solution: let the market forces play out. People don't want to be fat and they will pay millions for any solution that doesn't require a lifestyle change. Within the next ten years we'll likely have drugs that will effectively "treat" people for this "disease". I say make them pay through the teeth for them no govt subsidies for developing the drugs.
Sorry about the long comment. If I had more energy I'd respond on my blog. But I don't.
Oh I don't mind long comments!
I agree with you: let market forces play out. I too think we'll have an effective anti-fat drug in a decade or less.
I'm afraid that is a slippery slope guys. Aside from EVERYONE ending up paying through the nose via higher health care costs (to recoup some of the additional expense of obesity being classified as a disease), it will just add to the lack of accountability for any of our actions. The day is coming when we won't need to be responsible for any of our moral failures because we can blame them on someone/something else and take a pill to cure them.
It is sad that in our overly-PC society we can't just tell people they are fat because they eat too much and exercise too little. Doing so is now seen as being judgemental and intolerant.
Heather: I think we're already on the slipperly slope, but that started decades ago with the institution of the income tax and the welfare state.
True Michael, but that doesn't mean we must continue down the path...
The beauty of evolution gets even better! According to those who worry about such things, one of the most "alarming" health issues today is the significantly increased rates of Type-2 diabetes in children. Accoring to studies, 100% of the cases of Type-2 diabetes are caused by obesity! In adults there can be different reasons, but in children there is only one reason for this illness to develope.
It gets better! Obesity in girls is causing hormonal fluctuations that often result in, among other things, increased acne. So, not only does the human body "recognise" unhealthy lifestyles and try to kill off those who practice them, but it makes them more unattractive to decrease the possiblity of reproduction and the passing on of unhealthy lifestyles to the next generation.
You gotta love evolution.
Mark: None of the things you mention are "evolution", nor does evolution "do" anything. Genetic variation is not an active agent.
I think this whole "Obesity Epidemic" is really sad. The very name takes the responsibility off the shoulders of the overweight, and treats it like something you have little control over, like an infectious disease. I used to be 50 pounds overweight (5 times!). I am thin again, and have been for 9 months sucessfully. How? I took responsibility for how I ate and joined Weight Watchers and am doing great now. Its time people stopped blaming fast food restaurants for their condition and start eating in a healthy manner.
There are plenty of healthy alternatives out there, they just have to WANT to go there and/or learn the basics of healthy cooking. For awhile I blamed genetics for my condition (both parents are obese), but I learned that perhaps it was my fault alone, they were not force-feeding me!
It took me three years this last yo-yo cycle, but I am now a very healthy 124 pounds/5' 5" small frame. I don't ever intend to get fat again.
Thank you! I am stepping off my soapbox now (G)
I enjoyed reading your comments
I, too, used to be obese. I've never been one for changing my eating habits, as I have no self-control whatsoever, but three years ago I dropped down 25 pounds 140, and i've kept it off. I still eat just as much as I always have, but I have gotten to the point of substituting certain things, i.e., wheat bread for white, 1% milk for whole. You get used to it after a while. nevertheless, although i do favor healthier snacks in schools, I think government intervention should be limited.
Obesity may be overcome by proper nutrition, healthy living and good eating habits. Proper nutrition is an important factor in maintaining proper body weight because essential nutrients are critical for burning fat and removing carbohydrates from the body. Without proper nutrition excess fat may accumulate in the body resulting in an overweight condition