Taubes would say that an obese person eats too much precisely because he is fat, not the reverse. The arrow of causality has been flipped. His body is demanding

Taubes would say that an obese person eats too much precisely because he is fat, not the reverse. The arrow of causality has been flipped. His body is demanding increased caloric intake (via insulin, leptin, and ghrelin) to maintain fat stores. That "arrow" of causality is more of a messy tangle. Everything (appetite, eating habits, body fat, environment, mental state, exercise/lifestyle habits) affects pretty much everything else. In particular the environment can have a rather strong effect on eating habits. So be unreasonable, and adapt the world to support your goals.