US is getting fatter again

[The Mad Monk]

Scientific American has an article that ties an ancient gene to our obesity issues, but it is behind a pay wall, so this site has a nice summary of the part that concerns this thread.

This is the money shot:

In the last half century we have found a way to both easily make sugar from sugar cane and beets and to convert starch from corn to fructose with a simple enzyme reaction. Sugar has become cheap and plentiful. Sugar is now added to many of our foods and our daily consumption has risen from 5 pounds to 150 pounds a year in the last century. This over consumption of fructose leads to higher blood uric acid levels. High uric acid levels block the hormone leptin. A lack of leptin stops people from feeling full and that leads to weight gain and metabolic syndrome.

The Scientific American article centers around a gene that produces an enzyme called uricase (which exists to dispose of excess uric acid) and mutated before humans split off from the great apes; the mutation crippled prodution of the enzme. Most animals have it, humans and the great apes don't. Way back then the world was cooling and food was getting scarce, so a mutation which caused more fat production was a survival trait.

We do have choice, but circumstances make some choices harder than others.

[ricketyclik]

Another aspect is that cheap foods are low in protein. If you're on a tight budget, you're eating less protein, but there are cheap sources. Protein deficit stimulates hunger, which generally reaches for carbs. Carbs are fine if you just need calories for labour, but if you're relatively sedentary, like most people, you don't need so much. Increase your protein, your appetite drops.

[Lorizael]

Another successful "fat shaming":

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2552110/Look-state-Youre-disgusting-Women-loses-10-stone-humiliated-man-threw-drink-night-size.html

If not for "fat shaming", she would still be a size 26, or maybe even larger

Do you think if I engage in ******* shaming you'll stop being one? Or were you born this way?

[giblets]

Do you think if I engage in ******* shaming you'll stop being one? Or were you born this way?

Nagging people to lose weight isn't shameful, so no, shaming wouldn't work

[C0ckney]

I think the key is that none of these methods involve attacking fat people, but attacking the problem that creates fat people. Someone like gribbler, on the other hand, seems to get off on the idea that the best way to get rid of fat people is by harassing them (possibly in order to induce suicide).

i certainly agree that fat people shouldn't be attacked for the sake of it.

Another aspect is that cheap foods are low in protein. If you're on a tight budget, you're eating less protein, but there are cheap sources. Protein deficit stimulates hunger, which generally reaches for carbs. Carbs are fine if you just need calories for labour, but if you're relatively sedentary, like most people, you don't need so much. Increase your protein, your appetite drops.

that's exactly the sort of information that people should be made aware of.

[giblets]

Believe it or not, a majority of Americans apparently believe their current weight is "about right":

http://www.gallup.com/poll/186920/fewer-americans-say-lose-weight.aspx

In reality, roughly three out of four Americans are overweight or obese.

[Aeson]

Maybe you're obese then.

[giblets]

nope

[Aeson]

That's exactly what someone in denial about their weight problem would say.

[giblets]

My BMI is ~18.9 .... which is a healthy weight.

[Sava]

BMI isn't a measurement of weight

[giblets]

It's a measure of whether someone is at a normal weight or not

[Aeson]

Someone in denial about their weight problem could easily make up a BMI number to post online to support their delusion. Depending on how deep the delusion runs, they might not even be consciously aware that they are doing so. It's so sad to see it happening right before our eyes.

[The Mad Monk]

Funny thing is, BMI all too often overestimates obesity; it's just not a very accurate figure.

[giblets]

It works fine for the 99% of the population that isn't swole.