5 ms·
'"“I’m very excited about this,” he added, saying the next step will be to try using gut bacteria to treat obesity by transplanting feces from thin people. “I
by Aqueous 13y ago
'"“I’m very excited about this,” he added, saying the next step will be to try using gut bacteria to treat obesity by transplanting feces from thin people.
“I have little doubt that that will be the next thing that happens,” Dr. Fischbach said.
But Dr. Flier said it was far too soon for that.'
I agree. It is far too soon - wait until you've named it something other than 'fecal transplant.' It's a branding issue.
Exciting news, though. I think our society uses shame as a motivator way too much. We judge each other far too easily. Thin people take the fact that they are thin for granted, and then accuse fat people of being lazy.
As someone who gained a bit of weight recently in the past two years inexplicably and suddenly, having been thin before, with no change in diet or exercise, I wonder how much of this is actually in our direct control, and about the quality of the simple answers we give to shame people into exercising or dieting.
- graeme 13y agoMicrobiotal augmentation?
- Pxtl 13y agoI've got a zillion digestive problems running in my family so I'm actually super-excited by the fecal transplant tech. If I can steal your healthy bowel, I don't care if the idea's a little icky. > wonder how much of this is actually in our direct control, and about the quality of the simple answers we give to shame people into exercising or dieting. There's a contingent of people who find this attitude morally offensive. They worked hard for their health and are disgusted by those who want an easy way... and also people who didn't work hard to stay thin and are thin anyways like the self-congratulatory notion that they're doing something right. Every time a new weight-loss tech appears you get people ranting about diet and excersize and the offensive nature of this "shortcut". I'm reminded how Socrates was offended by the growth of writing because it was somehow morally inferior to memorization.
- Aqueous 13y agoYep. There will always be people complaining that technology makes us lazy. I think that's a good thing, because if there's no meaningful difference in our health, the time we spent trying to fend off the weight gain we could be spending doing other, less self-involved things thanks to technology. I'm working hard to lose my extra weight. I run 3 miles every morning before breakfast. I've changed my diet and have been actively trying to eat less. Still, the pounds are coming off extraordinarily slowly. I'm not totally sure I'll ever be the weight I started again.
- oblique63 13y ago> There's a contingent of people who find this attitude morally offensive. They worked hard for their health and are disgusted by those who want an easy way... and also people who didn't work hard to stay thin and are thin anyways like the self-congratulatory notion that they're doing something right. From my own experience, all the people that I know for sure 'worked hard' to achieve their fitness levels, are always the first to be the most understanding about the whole ordeal. Even the strong personality types. The vibe is always along the lines of: "yes, it can be incredibly difficult, and there are many paths to the same destination, but look at me -- it's possible!". I haven't seen many of of these people 'disgusted' at others who want an easier way, if anything they can probably sympathize cause they were probably there themselves at one point. So that leaves the "didn't work hard" camp, and the "disgusted by an easy way out" bunch... Now, I'm not gonna draw any conclusions cause this is all anecdotal, and perhaps some people don't like to flaunt their successes or use them to inspire others, but it is tempting to make the correlation.
- zimbatm 13y agoWeight is also related to age. Lots of people start gaining weight when passing the 30ies because their metabolism starts slowing down.