Having quite a few years of experience treating obesity it's interesting how often this topic comes up here. As several posters say, the "paleo" diet in some f

Having quite a few years of experience treating obesity it's interesting how often this topic comes up here. As several posters say, the "paleo" diet in some form is not a recent idea. Despite paleo's apparent merit, the "standard" high-CHO diet continues to predominate. But why? I can only speculate. Much has been written about "carbohydrate addiction", an idea that remains controversial, yet there's some evidence for it. We know about the huge amounts of sugars in processed convenience foods, disrupting the body's energy-handling mechanisms, shunting calories into fat deposition. Industrialization plays a role, it's cheaper to produce and distribute pleasing sugar-rich items vs. fresh farm-grown vegetables. Healthful food is expensive and less available, especially for economically stressed populations. For others, the problem is exacerbated by a demanding, tech-driven lifestyle. Under pressure, taking time to consider what's truly beneficial for health is less likely. Just grab the Starbucks and let's go. While obesity is in part a behavioral issue, it's a fallacy to assume it's only a subset of the "mental health" domain. I assert obesity is the most complex medical condition we face. All body systems, down to each and every cell has a stake in the intake and distribution of energy, and plays some role in these processes. Metabolic illness is among the most prevalent and costly to our economy, and also among the most intertwined with psychiatric, medical, cultural, and political phenomena. As pointed out, Banting's fish diet of 1863 worked, but also roundly criticized. The insight keeps reemerging, which seems to mean it's a pointer to solutions, not itself a solution.