Obesity

[georgit79]

It is predicted that by 2008, about three quarters of all Americans will be grossly overweight. That's an enormous statistic!

The food that most people eat is absolutely disgusting and yet they eat and serve portions large enough to fill a sumo wrestler's appetite. Exercise seems to be something in the US to be avoided at all costs for most people. The vast majority avoid healthy food and physical movement like the plague. Obesity is a serious problem that's just going to get worse.

But, my question is: will nature eventually correct this trend? Will Darwinian dynamics prove, once again, that nature favours survival of the fittest?

[jake-the-peg]

Probably, but maybe not in the manner you envisage.

You may find humans develop mechanisms to cope with large body masses

For example enzymes to unclog arteries.

I fear you may be on the dangerous path of mixing science with prejudice

[georgit79]

Me personally?

[MargeB]

I used to work in the Midwest and it was a real eyeopener. The scientific experiments that I carried out (ie Sunday lunch) made me come up with the theory that if you combine pretty boring places (much of USA) with very very cheap eating out, you'll get fat fat people.

A good question is whether or not normal evolution models apply to humans any more...I think that most of the selective pressures that have been written into human genes are no longer even present, which makes being human a bit weird, I think. For example:

there's a sexual selection preference towards shiny hair, symmetric faces, and clear skin, because they denote underlying health. This is not relevant any more really, since medicine can see you past difficulties to successful childbirth and rearing.

there's a selective advantage to stronger men, who are better hunters...who hunts these days, apart from a few crazy yanks.

Sexual preference towards/against fatness has always fascinated me, but I can never figure it out. Certainly, some people prefer plumper, but the trend seems to be towards 'svelt'. What does 'plump' 'mean' in evolutionary terms? It can either mean that you have access to tons of food (good thing) or that you are so unfit that you can't move (bad thing). It could also be just an unrelated abberation in the hypothalamus, which does mean that you'll eat all the pies.

Tough one. Where's me cakes...?

[Champagne]

Georgi, try drinking your own urine.  :o)

I'm off to the vending machine to get some crisps and coke. Anybody want anything?

[georgit79]

Can I have apple juice instead? It looks like pi$$....

[MargeB]

Was that guy serious about the p? He seemed pretty pd off about the jokes. How can anyone even begin to imagine doing it? "Out of diet coke again???Oh **** it..."

Anyway Champagne, what are you doing in the office? You gotta earn this �10K you know.

[Champagne]

Georgi/MargeB, when are you two gonna swap e-mail addresses and then arrange to meet up? Eh? Hmm? Eh? Tell you what, if you don't do it this week then I'll kill you both.  :o)

[MargeB]

You just want to wear that nice hat again, don't you? :-)

[georgit79]

lol. I've been dropping hints left, right and centre...he just isn't biting!

[georgit79]

by the way, are you going to attempt to answer my question, Champagne?

[ll_billym]

Like MargeB I think that Darwins theories do not really apply to humans in the world today.  Were all our constructions and social fabric suddenly destroyed and replaced with jungle then survival of the fittest and most ruthless would again apply.

At the moment it is survival of the richest.

[Champagne]

Okay, georgi, here goes my theory:

It is only today's society that dictates what being overweight is. Trends vary all the time and there were numerous periods, e.g. Tudor period saw larger girth (bishop!) as a sign of good living, the 20's saw the trend for breast reduction to suit the fashions of that time, during the 1950's curves were in, 60's set a trend for the twiggy-like figure.

I don't think that Darwin's theory of natural selection applies to fashion. He was only a trendsetter in the science world.

Obese Americans could always revert to corsets.  :o)
So in the words of Marie Antoinette (or whoever was s'posed to have first uttered the words) "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!!"

Mmmmm... cake...

Er... I'll get me wedding hat...   :o\