The Obesity Epidemic and Insights into the Origins of Our Sharp Increase in Weight

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT OBESITY WAS EVOLUTIONARY PERFECTION? THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE EVOLUTION STARTED NO LONGER EXIST.THE THRIFTY AND DRIFTY GENE HYPOTHESES HAVE BEEN MENTIONED AND GIVES US INSIGHT INTO OUR BIOLOGY AND HOW IT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC THAT EXISTS TODAY. IN THIS EPISODE WE LOOK CLOSER AT THE THRIFTY GENE HYPOTHESIS AND HOW OUR BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO WEIGHT GAIN IN WHAT MAY BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ORIGIN STORY OF OUR OBESITY EPIDEMIC.

THE PREVALENCE OF OBESITY IN AMERICA HAS SKYROCKETED AND MAY BE DUE TO AS LITTLE AS A 100 CALORIE DAILY POSITIVE ENERGY BALANCE. WE DIDN’T ALWAYS HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OBESITY AS OUR BODIES DEVELOPED TO WORK BEST IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE HIGH LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ARE NECESSARY AND ONE IN WHICH FOOD IS NOT CONSISTENTLY AVAILABLE. OBESITY LIKELY BEGAN TO BE MORE PREVALENT WITH THE ADVENT OF AGRICULTURE ABOUT 12,000 YEARS AGO WHICH LED TO THE FIRST FOOD SURPLUSES AND SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE. FOOD SHORTAGE AND THE NEED TO EXPEND LOTS OF ENERGY WAS REPLACED EXCESS FOOD AND NO NEED FOR HIGH LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

THESE ARE THE MAIN DRIVERS OF OUR OBESITY EPIDEMIC TODAY – INCREASED AVAILABILITY OF CHEAP AND CONVENIENT HIGHLY PROCESSED FOODS AND INCREASED EXERTION IS NO LONGER REQUIRED TO SURVIVE. PROCESSED FOODS HAVE THEIR OWN ORIGIN STORY AS WELL THAT WAS DRIVEN BY WAR AND DEVELOPING TIME-INSENSITIVE FOODS TO FEED MILLIONS OF SOLDIERS. LEADERS FROM THE MILITARY AND CIVILIAN FOOD MARKETS WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER TO DEVELOP AND PERFECT PROCESSED FOOD.

THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE NOW LIVE IN IS FACILITATING OBESITY AS WELL. UNFORTUNATELY, WITH PROCESSED FOODS AND WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF MULTIPLE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN MAKING IT MUCH EASIER TO OVEREAT AND UNDER-EXERCISE. A HEALTHY WEIGHT CAN NO LONGER BE LEFT TO OUR BIOLOGY BUT REQUIRES COGNITIVE EFFORT TO EAT LESS AND TO BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE. SO, THE ORIGIN OF OUR OBESITY EPIDEMIC IS OUR BIOLOGY WHICH IS NO LONGER ABLE TO OPPOSE CALORIC EXCESS ON ITS OWN, AND OUR ENVIRONMENT AND ONLY OUR ENVIRONMENT CAN BE CHANGED IN THE NEAR TERM. WE DIVIDE OUR ENVIRONMENT INTO OUR FOOD ENVIRONMENT AND OUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENT AND THEY BOTH MUST BE RECOGNIZED AND ADDRESSED TO MOVE CLOSER TOWARDS SOLVING OUR OBESITY CRISIS.

THE PROFESSIONALLY BEAUTIFUL GIVE US INSIGHT INTO THE INVESTMENT WE NEED TO MAKE IN OUR OWN HEALTH. WE’LL IDENTIFY A CELEBRITY WHO FITS THE BILL.

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