The true cause of obesity

PaulS70

A famous researcher (Jean Mayer) once said... (paraphrasing)

The idea that overeating causes obesity is vacuously true, but is no more enlightening than saying that over-drinking causes alcoholism. We need to ask why does the person over-drink?

To solve our weight problems we need to find out WHY we overeat. It has to be more than just boredom or emotions or stress.

Here are 4 different theories I have come across. Please discuss and feel free to add your own.

1.) THE FAT LAZY SLOB THEORY - We simply eat too much because we have no willpower. Our character has devolved and we are unable to resist foods that make us fat. We are also dumb and do not know which foods are fattening and continue to eat them despite their effect on our health. On top of that if we would just get off our lazy butts and exercise the overeating would disappear or be offset by "burning calories"

2.) THE TOXIC ENVIRONMENT - Junk food is everywhere, and has become ingrained in our culture. We cant help but overeat because the junk is such a part of our environment that using it is as inescapable as using toothpaste or deodorant.

3.) HYPER-PALATABILITY / MENTAL ADDICTION - We have altered food stuffs to the point where they are so delicious and so tasty that they effect "reward centers" in our brains that cause us to become chemically addicted to the foods much like drugs. We need the delicious junk food to comfort us and feed the addiction.

4.) HORMONE BLOCKAGE / INTERNAL STARVATION - The junk food that we eat causes the normal hormonal metabolic process that our body uses to become dysfunctional and unregulated. Our bodies lose the ability to transport nutrients to our muscles and organs. With the nutrients unable to get to our muscles and organs our bodies continuously send out hunger signals as they are "internally starving" and thus biologically we need tons of extra calories to break through the "hormone blockage"

Sidesteal

Lack of understanding of energy intake vs energy needs.

Now, do I think that everyone should count calories? Of course not. But I DO think that there's a significant portion of people who do not understand how energy balance dictates weight change, and knowing this could help people either lose, or not get that way to begin with.

Olive32214

bump

fteale

I think there is some mileage in all those theories, but the main one I think is that biologically we have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to seek out high calorie food because for most of human evolution food has been in short supply. It is only in the last 60 years or so that food has been so easy to come by and it takes more than 60 years to fight 300,000 years of evolution.

Added to that we are meant to have to work hard physically, most people don't any more, so we have had to substitute artificial exercise to try to counteract the inherent laziness of our modern lifestyles.


I don't think it's any great mystery, it's just something that everyone in the western world should be taught in school.

FORIANN

I tend to agree. Since I've started counting calories I have most definitely gone over on occasion, but I see the energy value of the food I'm selecting easier and can almost guess within a couple of hundred calories how much I'm having when I eat a meal. I don't think strict calorie counting is the end all be all of a healthy lifestyle, but being aware of what you're choosing to eat does impact the choices you make.

PaulS70

Lack of understanding of energy intake vs energy needs.

Now, do I think that everyone should count calories? Of course not. But I DO think that there's a significant portion of people who do not understand how energy balance dictates weight change, and knowing this could help people either lose, or not get that way to begin with.

I agree that a lot of people do not understand how much they need to eat. What puzzles me is how does every other animal do it? With ample food around you don't get fat lions and fat deer and fat cheetahs. How do they know how much they need?

Sidesteal

I agree that a lot of people do not understand how much they need to eat. What puzzles me is how does every other animal do it? With ample food around you don't get fat lions and fat deer and fat cheetahs. How do they know how much they need?

We don't have to chase a hamburger through a forest and tackle it and then break it's neck before we consume it. I also haven't seen a lion order his deer-meat online while watching ESPN.

Drastic energy expenditure differences there.

fteale

Lack of understanding of energy intake vs energy needs.

Now, do I think that everyone should count calories? Of course not. But I DO think that there's a significant portion of people who do not understand how energy balance dictates weight change, and knowing this could help people either lose, or not get that way to begin with.

I agree that a lot of people do not understand how much they need to eat. What puzzles me is how does every other animal do it? With ample food around you don't get fat lions and fat deer and fat cheetahs. How do they know how much they need?

We aren't wild animals. You see a lot of fat dogs and cats.

servilia

I agree that a lot of people do not understand how much they need to eat. What puzzles me is how does every other animal do it? With ample food around you don't get fat lions and fat deer and fat cheetahs. How do they know how much they need?

We don't have to chase a hamburger through a forest and tackle it and then break it's neck before we consume it. I also haven't seen a lion order his deer-meat online while watching ESPN.

Drastic energy expenditure differences there.

So true!!

kateroot

I think the "true cause of obesity" is different for everybody. Any one of your theories, and any other theory out there, can most likely be applied to someone's experience. In general, it's overeating and under-exercising combined with eating too much of the wrong things. I know for me, my weight comes on when I eat refined carbs, added sugars, etc., even if I'm eating low-calorie. Someone else may be able to eat cookies all day but lose weight as long as they're in a calorie deficit.

Honestly, I think it's all very individual.

PaulS70

Yes, I agree that working for it makes a difference.

I just really think that there is more too it than "animals get more exercise" I have read plenty of articles about animal trials with ad-libitum diets where the subjects didn't get fat and weren't working for their food. How did these animals know when to stop?

Dogs and cats don't get fat until they start eating our food, or tons of the processed crap we make into cheap pet food.

There has to be something to a properly functioning hunger/satiation process that is not mental. It can't be just "knowing how much fuel you need."

Sidesteal

Yes, I agree that working for it makes a difference.

I just really think that there is more too it than "animals get more exercise" I have read plenty of articles about animal trials with ad-libitum diets where the subjects didn't get fat and weren't working for their food. How did these animals know when to stop?

Dogs and cats don't get fat until they start eating our food, or tons of the processed crap we make into cheap pet food.

There has to be something to a properly functioning hunger/satiation process that is not mental. It can't be just "knowing how much fuel you need."

I'm not implying that it's JUST "knowing how much fuel you need". I'm saying that I think it's one major component to why SOME people are obese.

Dogs and Cats DO get fat eating just dog and cat food if they have an owner who continually overfeeds them.

servilia

Yes, I agree that working for it makes a difference.

I just really think that there is more too it than "animals get more exercise" I have read plenty of articles about animal trials with ad-libitum diets where the subjects didn't get fat and weren't working for their food. How did these animals know when to stop?

Dogs and cats don't get fat until they start eating our food, or tons of the processed crap we make into cheap pet food.

There has to be something to a properly functioning hunger/satiation process that is not mental. It can't be just "knowing how much fuel you need."

Maybe it's that with animals, it purely IS a physical trigger that tell them when to stop and they don't have the emotional aspect to deal with.. There are a lot of people for whom emotions override their natural satiety signals.. when I was down and out I know I ignored them.. and just kept eating because it felt good. Hence the weight gain. In addition, we have more variety and I would argue, yummier food LOL and it's been shown that people will eat more of a meal when it's composed of a variety of foods.

SoulNeedsBeauty

I think there is some mileage in all those theories, but the main one I think is that biologically we have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to seek out high calorie food because for most of human evolution food has been in short supply. It is only in the last 60 years or so that food has been so easy to come by and it takes more than 60 years to fight 300,000 years of evolution.

Added to that we are meant to have to work hard physically, most people don't any more, so we have had to substitute artificial exercise to try to counteract the inherent laziness of our modern lifestyles.


I don't think it's any great mystery, it's just something that everyone in the western world should be taught in school.

I agree with you on everything you said right there^^

sunfyrejade

I think that part of all your theories hold true for most people in some combination. The basic lack of understanding of calories needed v. calories ingested is the fundamental problem in all overweight individuals it just is a matter of why we don't pay attention to what we're eating or if we're full or not.

Also, being lazy one day makes it easier to be lazy the next day and so on. Once you fill yourself with bad foods/bad habits it is easier to continue those. I know days/weeks when I get my exercise in I feel better and more apt to do it the next day wheras on days/weeks when I don't get it in I am more apt to skip it again the next day so our behaviors tend to follow a pattern.

PaulS70

I'm not implying that it's JUST "knowing how much fuel you need". I'm saying that I think it's one major component to why SOME people are obese.

Dogs and Cats DO get fat eating just dog and cat food if they have an owner who continually overfeeds them.

Not getting mad at you, just trying to open up thought to something other than "calories in calories out / everyone's different."

I'm starting to think that we give too much credit to the psychological and not enough credit to the physiological.

We don't know that if the owner of the dog fed the dog its natural diet without the ground up corn gluten and whole grains and various other things that dogs don't eat, the dog may very well just stop eating when its nutrient needs are satisfied.

SoulNeedsBeauty

BTW, be careful when using the word "true" , especially in biology and scientific world in general.

PaulS70

BTW, be careful when using the word "true" , especially in biology and scientific world in general.

Sorry didn't have the quote in front of me. Had to paraphrase... Point taken

Sidesteal

Not getting mad at you, just trying to open up thought to something other than "calories in calories out / everyone's different."

All good, I'm using caps lock because I haven't figured out how to boldface/italicize. I'm not upset in the least.

I'm starting to think that we give too much credit to the psychological and not enough credit to the physiological.

i think there's probably a laundry list of reasons and they each contribute to varying degrees from individual to individual. The root cause being energy balance.

jweidner33

Lack of understanding of energy intake vs energy needs.

Now, do I think that everyone should count calories? Of course not. But I DO think that there's a significant portion of people who do not understand how energy balance dictates weight change, and knowing this could help people either lose, or not get that way to begin with.

This is me in a nut shell.

sunfyrejade

i think there's probably a laundry list of reasons and they each contribute to varying degrees from individual to individual. The root cause being energy balance.

True! Just because a person doesn't understand why there is a lack of balance between energy in and energy out doesn't mean it isn't the reason. We just have to figure out why our in/out is messed up.