This feels like "alertness associated with other positive health traits." That is, I don't think most people or animals choose to lower their physical activity

This feels like "alertness associated with other positive health traits." That is, I don't think most people or animals choose to lower their physical activity just because they can. Often lowering any of those is due to onset of sickness and you can observe this in pets. Reading over the above, I do want to underline that this is still worth studying. I just hate that the reporting on it is painting a one-way causal link. I also think the amount of psychological tricks that are employed against people is absurdly high. Such that the reasons we overeat or just eat the wrong things are as likely not about cravings you would have absent the effort companies put into giving you these cravings.