Scientists Don’t Agree on What Causes Obesity, but They Know What Doesn’t

Re:Scientists Don’t Agree on What Causes Obesity, but They K... by chiefalchemist on Tuesday April 04, 2023 @07:42PM (#35447333)

We know what causes obesity...less activity than what's consumed. Yes, there are contributing factors (e.g., gut bacteria, urban food deserts) that can tilt the scale (no pun intended) against you, but at some level it's a lifestyle issue. Why is that politically incorrect to say?

Moral failing? Not really. Cheating on your spouse is a moral failing. But not watching your diet and/or not making an effort to exercise is simply denial.

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Re:Scientists Don’t Agree on What Causes Obesity, but They K... by exfatloss on Tuesday April 04, 2023 @07:46PM (#35447364)

I'd argue "less activity than what's consumed" is not causal but an accounting of what's already happened. Just like "more money in your bank account" is a mere measurement, whereas "getting paid for your job" is what was causal.

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Re:Scientists Don’t Agree on What Causes Obesity, but They K... by AnimalMuppet on Wednesday April 05, 2023 @09:03AM (#35453434)

> We know what causes obesity...less activity than what's consumed.

In general, yes, but it's a bit more complex than that.

First, it's not "activity". It's total calories burned, which includes base rate metabolism. Base rate metabolism is something that can be affected by exercise, disease, maybe diet, and certainly by chemicals (weight loss "aids" often work on this route, but can cause some nasty side effects).

Second, it's not quite what's "consumed", it's what's extracted or absorbed. Gut bacteria show up here, but so do enzyme and other digestive issues.

You can eat as much as you want and never gain weight if you have a high enough base metabolism, or if your digestive system is flawed.

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Re:Scientists Don’t Agree on What Causes Obesity, but They K... by chiefalchemist on Wednesday April 05, 2023 @04:03PM (#35459687)

I understand all that. That's way I generalized over absolutes. Nonetheless, drink soda, eat foods with low nutritional density, watch TV, play video games...where is the surprise?

Again, there are things that tilt one way or another but to say the individual has no say and no influence is simply no true. And it's a dangerous mindset to normalize.

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Re:Scientists Don’t Agree on What Causes Obesity, but They K... by AnimalMuppet on Wednesday April 05, 2023 @05:59PM (#35460968)

I agree with all of that.

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