This makes me angry. The reason that health professionals focus on diet and physical activity is because science evidence demonstrates that these have the most positive impact on long term health. The majority of healthcare (inc. social care) spending is on reactive and emergency services. We don't spend anywhere near enough on preventative healthcare and interventions. Tackling social factors (providing education/access/choice) could go a huge way in reducing obesity, increasing physical activity and improving health. Let's not discount it before we have actually given it a go. People need to take responsibility for their own health. We don't need another excuse to justify why you are fat. We need to provide people with the knowledge and access to make an informed and active choice about their lifestyle. *edited, realised I had re-framed a sentence without correcting the beginning of it.If... there is more to obesity than simple thermodynamics, some of the billions spent on individual-centred policies and products may be being wasted. Time, in that case, to try some alternative policies based on alternative theories, and see how they fare.
I don't think that pointing out that there are many causes of obesity should make you angry. Would it make you angry if one pointed out that there are many social causes of teen pregnancy, even though abstinence works 100% of the time? Articles like this can be important, because they highlight that many things that we perceive as innocuous can be dangerous, although I agree that diet and exercise work without fail.
It is not the content of the article that I find frustrating but the context in which the article is framed. It reads as if we are already doing too much to tackle obesity through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle (diet and exercise) or attempting to overcome the associated social barriers. I think it is important that we understand all of the contributory factors, but let's not undermine the importance of what we already know.
I agree, I agree. But did you get to the part where it talks about "infectobesity"? I think this is fascinating. And terrifying. And I wish there were more hours in the day to work out.These theories are important for a different reason. Their very existence — the fact that they are plausible, with some supporting evidence and suggestions for further research — gives the lie to the notion that obesity is a closed question, on which science has pronounced its final word. It might be that every one of the ‘roads less travelled’ contributes to global obesity; it might be that some do in some places and not in others. The openness of the issue makes it clear that obesity isn’t a simple school physics experiment.
I would say that's possible, but you would have to be in excellent shape. That takes a lot hard work and time. More importantly, it includes a healthy amount of sleep and healthy meals in during that time frame. You'll be surprised that by doing a simple workout like plyometrics. Start there, work hard at it, and you'll experience changes in your way of thinking and physiology. It's hard work, just like anything else. Just like academics, a new trait, dancing, anything.