5 ms·
It's exciting, but it sortof scares me to think that this is going to be the focus, rather than dealing with the underlying problem of self-control, or perhaps
by orblivion 18y ago
It's exciting, but it sortof scares me to think that this is going to be the focus, rather than dealing with the underlying problem of self-control, or perhaps certain ingredients in our food supply.
(I know there is a good argument for genetics, but that can't account for the average weight gain in the US over the last couple decades).
- AlisdairO 18y agoAs someone who was previously obese, I tend to believe that there is a good argument for genetic variation being a cause of weight gain. I'm sure that some people gain weight easily even on small amounts of food, but I think variation in food desire is a much larger part of the problem. While I have lost all of my excess weight, it's been a challenge keeping it off. I really love to eat, and I sometimes fixate on the thought of eating some chocolate/cake/whatever to the extent that it becomes hard to concentrate. If I do give in and have some I need to eat a whole load before I'm satisfied - and I've been this way ever since I was a little kid. My wife, on the other hand, experiences much rarer cravings and is satisfied even with a small amount of the food in question. I wonder if the weight gain in the US can be partly explained by higher availability of extremely fattening foods combined with greater societal acceptance of obesity - has the commonly accepted portion size gone up, for example? This makes it easier for those with greater food desire to satisfy their urges. edit: removed extraneous word