Official why are people obese thread!

Page 6 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,355
19,535
146
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
edit: And about fat slobs having superior genes - that's my whole point. Their genes havent changed a bit - they're just lazy and eat too much. There is no genetic superiority here.

If you cannot see the genetic superiority in being able to store fat for what used to be frequent famines, then you are obviously too simplistic to understand anything.

If your only answer to the obesity epidemic is "fat people are lazy over-eaters" than you haven't actually tried to understand the problem.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,355
19,535
146
Originally posted by: alphatarget1
you can't get fat if you have no food intake.

And 90+% of fat people who starve themselves thin end up fatter than before.

It's not as simple as calorie deprivation.
 

MikeSci457DC

Member
Aug 24, 2005
129
0
0
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: alphatarget1
you can't get fat if you have no food intake.

And 90+% of fat people who starve themselves thin end up fatter than before.

It's not as simple as calorie deprivation.



That's because they fail to successfully starve themselves, and it is often a precursor to binge eating.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
Originally posted by: Papagayo
People eat fatty foods instead of healthy foods..

Hooter's Chicken wings are probably one of the worst foods to eat..

nope, frenchfries are the worst food you can eat.
 

Mike Gayner

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2007
6,175
3
0
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
edit: And about fat slobs having superior genes - that's my whole point. Their genes havent changed a bit - they're just lazy and eat too much. There is no genetic superiority here.

If you cannot see the genetic superiority in being able to store fat for what used to be frequent famines, then you are obviously too simplistic to understand anything.

If your only answer to the obesity epidemic is "fat people are lazy over-eaters" than you haven't actually tried to understand the problem.

ALL humans are 'programmed' to store fat - that's why EVERYONE can get fat. But the fact is, what you're describing is a genetic predisposition to weight gain. For a start, it's debateable whether this even exists. Secondly, it's still IMPOSSIBLE to gain fat without consuming more than your body needs. There is two ways to do this - consume more, or make your body 'need' less, by not exercising.

Genetics dont matter - if you eat more calories than you need, you gain fat. Period. To say a fat person is genetically superior is utterly false.
 

Legend

Platinum Member
Apr 21, 2005
2,254
1
0
Originally posted by: Citrix
Originally posted by: Papagayo
People eat fatty foods instead of healthy foods..

Hooter's Chicken wings are probably one of the worst foods to eat..

nope, frenchfries are the worst food you can eat.

Yeah, chicken and burgers (assuming it is mostly meat and cheese) are not going to make you fat. It's the french fries, soda, potato chips, sports drinks (used in inactivity), granola bars, fruit juice, etc.

The reason for this is simple...your body is constantly digesting food. Certain foods release energy much too quickly, and if you are inactive, your body stores the excess as body fat. Carbohydrates that lack fiber and have a high surface area release energy the fastest. This is why fruits are healthy, and fruit juice is terrible (higher surface area, no fiber = instant release of energy). While fats contain a higher concentration of calories, it's very slowly released, letting your body burn it on the fly with minimal excess.

The hype for low fat diets in the 1980s led to a diet higher in the bad types of carbs....that's the primary reason for fat gain. Add inactivity to the mix, and things get bad very quickly.
 

Legend

Platinum Member
Apr 21, 2005
2,254
1
0
Originally posted by: MikeSci457DC
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: alphatarget1
you can't get fat if you have no food intake.

And 90+% of fat people who starve themselves thin end up fatter than before.

It's not as simple as calorie deprivation.



That's because they fail to successfully starve themselves, and it is often a precursor to binge eating.

Crash diets are terrible because it does starve you. You lose both fat AND muscle. When the diets over, your metabolism is lower...meaning you burn fewer calories per day. When you return to your old, flawed diet and lack of exercise, you'll gain even more body fat.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,355
19,535
146
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
edit: And about fat slobs having superior genes - that's my whole point. Their genes havent changed a bit - they're just lazy and eat too much. There is no genetic superiority here.

If you cannot see the genetic superiority in being able to store fat for what used to be frequent famines, then you are obviously too simplistic to understand anything.

If your only answer to the obesity epidemic is "fat people are lazy over-eaters" than you haven't actually tried to understand the problem.

ALL humans are 'programmed' to store fat - that's why EVERYONE can get fat. But the fact is, what you're describing is a genetic predisposition to weight gain. For a start, it's debateable whether this even exists. Secondly, it's still IMPOSSIBLE to gain fat without consuming more than your body needs. There is two ways to do this - consume more, or make your body 'need' less, by not exercising.

Genetics dont matter - if you eat more calories than you need, you gain fat. Period. To say a fat person is genetically superior is utterly false.

So everyone can become obese?

Sorry, but you have a LOT to learn.

Genetics do matter. In fact, google genetics +obesity and you will see the vast majority, if not the entire medical community agrees with me, not your simplistic one size fits all mentality.

Early in this thread I posted a study that proved once and for all genetics play a HUGE part in obesity. Why not go back and read that?

BTW, I'm still waiting for you to tell me how food suddenly became evil over the last 25 years.
 

hellokeith

Golden Member
Nov 12, 2004
1,664
0
0
A combination of things:

TV. Video Games. Consoles. Computers. Inexpensive junk/fast food. Poor/neglectful parenting. Resting metabolism. Poor personal choice of diet. Social activities based around food.

Like any other problem in life, there are a variety of genetic, environmental, social, and personal factors to obesity. If you do not want to be obese, you absolutely can change. There will be more effort and obstacles for some more than others, but nonetheless you can achieve what you desire if you have the actionable will.
 

mrSHEiK124

Lifer
Mar 6, 2004
11,488
2
0
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Originally posted by: zinfamous
count me in the minority then

/highfive

Hypermetabolic crew sign in here! :D

- M4H

From now on, I have an EXCELLENT way to refer to my "fast metabolism."

"Hell yeah I'll eat another pizza, I've got the metabolism of a blast furnace!"
 

Mike Gayner

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2007
6,175
3
0
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
edit: And about fat slobs having superior genes - that's my whole point. Their genes havent changed a bit - they're just lazy and eat too much. There is no genetic superiority here.

If you cannot see the genetic superiority in being able to store fat for what used to be frequent famines, then you are obviously too simplistic to understand anything.

If your only answer to the obesity epidemic is "fat people are lazy over-eaters" than you haven't actually tried to understand the problem.

ALL humans are 'programmed' to store fat - that's why EVERYONE can get fat. But the fact is, what you're describing is a genetic predisposition to weight gain. For a start, it's debateable whether this even exists. Secondly, it's still IMPOSSIBLE to gain fat without consuming more than your body needs. There is two ways to do this - consume more, or make your body 'need' less, by not exercising.

Genetics dont matter - if you eat more calories than you need, you gain fat. Period. To say a fat person is genetically superior is utterly false.

So everyone can become obese?

Sorry, but you have a LOT to learn.

Genetics do matter. In fact, google genetics +obesity and you will see the vast majority, if not the entire medical community agrees with me, not your simplistic one size fits all mentality.

Early in this thread I posted a study that proved once and for all genetics play a HUGE part in obesity. Why not go back and read that?

BTW, I'm still waiting for you to tell me how food suddenly became evil over the last 25 years.

'Food' didn't become evil, you ****** retard, the over consumption of food is the problem. Add to that the increase in the use of trans fats and products like high-fructose corn syrup, and you have a problem. Food is NOT a problem - eating habbits ARE.

And yes, of course ANYONE can become obese. If you eat 5000 calories a day and dont exercise, where do you think it goes? You seem to think that only fat people are capable of storing fat. You have a VERY strange idea of the human body.
 

Mike Gayner

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2007
6,175
3
0
Lets make this simple for Amused: What's changed in the last 100 years? Food - yes. Diets and eating habits - yes. Activity levels - yes. Genetics - NO. But you're telling me that America's obesity problem is caused by genetics, and not your lazy lifestyles and over indulgence?
 

Regs

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
16,666
21
81
There is snack food everywhere of all types and people that have money to burn. Every kid is spoiled and there is no discipline anymore. Kids are also less active. Every activity in school is a lawsuit; jump rope and hop scotch is an exercise and not a game anymore; bikes are for people who wear tights and plastic helmets; and drugs are illegal.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,355
19,535
146
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
Originally posted by: Amused
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
edit: And about fat slobs having superior genes - that's my whole point. Their genes havent changed a bit - they're just lazy and eat too much. There is no genetic superiority here.

If you cannot see the genetic superiority in being able to store fat for what used to be frequent famines, then you are obviously too simplistic to understand anything.

If your only answer to the obesity epidemic is "fat people are lazy over-eaters" than you haven't actually tried to understand the problem.

ALL humans are 'programmed' to store fat - that's why EVERYONE can get fat. But the fact is, what you're describing is a genetic predisposition to weight gain. For a start, it's debateable whether this even exists. Secondly, it's still IMPOSSIBLE to gain fat without consuming more than your body needs. There is two ways to do this - consume more, or make your body 'need' less, by not exercising.

Genetics dont matter - if you eat more calories than you need, you gain fat. Period. To say a fat person is genetically superior is utterly false.

So everyone can become obese?

Sorry, but you have a LOT to learn.

Genetics do matter. In fact, google genetics +obesity and you will see the vast majority, if not the entire medical community agrees with me, not your simplistic one size fits all mentality.

Early in this thread I posted a study that proved once and for all genetics play a HUGE part in obesity. Why not go back and read that?

BTW, I'm still waiting for you to tell me how food suddenly became evil over the last 25 years.

'Food' didn't become evil, you ****** retard, the over consumption of food is the problem. Add to that the increase in the use of trans fats and products like high-fructose corn syrup, and you have a problem. Food is NOT a problem - eating habbits ARE.

And yes, of course ANYONE can become obese. If you eat 5000 calories a day and dont exercise, where do you think it goes? You seem to think that only fat people are capable of storing fat. You have a VERY strange idea of the human body.

Sorry, but you are wrong. Not everyone can become obese, even if they tried. There are a great many people out there who eat crappy diets until they are full on a daily basis and never get fat.

You said this:

How can you say food hasn't changed substantially in the last 25 years? Where have you been living?

And now you change your argument and try to cover it by calling me names.

BRILLIANT!

At any rate, there has been an average of 300 calorie increase per person per day over the past 25 years. But the vast majority of that gain is grains, followed by sugar. This supports my claim that people have increased munching because of sedentary lifestyles.

Trans fats are nothing new, nor is corn syrup.

Food is not the problem. Lifestyles and activity are the problem for those genetically predisposed to obesity.
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,355
19,535
146
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
Lets make this simple for Amused: What's changed in the last 100 years? Food - yes. Diets and eating habits - yes. Activity levels - yes. Genetics - NO. But you're telling me that America's obesity problem is caused by genetics, and not your lazy lifestyles and over indulgence?

That's been your problem all along. You're too busy trying to make it "simple." And it's NOT simple. Go back and read the study I posted.

In the last 25 years food has not changed. Eating habits have changed only in relation to idle munching. Activity levels are the biggest change, and the ONLY correlation to the obesity epidemic.

And again, you are being simplistic about genetics. Genetics related to obesity are within a given environment.

This explains why two people can eat the same foods, have the same activity levels, yet one is skinny and another fat.
 

TitanDiddly

Guest
Dec 8, 2003
12,696
1
0
I am obese. The reasons:
1. Poor diet, little exercise.
2. Apathy about #1.
3. Lack of discipline.
4. Genetics factor- I take after my mother's side of the family- most of which are more plump than not. My father side is significantly less plump, but all in that painful zone of not fully bald but conspicuously balding. I think I'd switch.
 

Aquila76

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2004
3,549
2
0
www.facebook.com
I think it's a combination of genetics, lifestyle, over-proliferation of fast- and junk-food, and overuse of same.

Most people have zero self-discipline to choose something healthy over something that tastes good. It's too bad that many can't look past 'right now' to see how they'll pay for it in the end.

I'll admit that when I'm being pushed at work to get projects done, I eat like absolute crap because it's fast, cheap, and quickly / readily available. Somehow, it hasn't caught up with me weight-wise. It's probably because I don't get that critical a project often, I make smart choices food and otherwise normally, and all that greasy junk comes pouring out my ass like a squid jetting across the ocean.
 

JBarr

Member
Oct 12, 2006
30
0
0
Everyone is ignoring an obvious factor I just read about.

Q: Who marries a woman with an increased BMI?

A: A guy with an elevated BMI.


Q: What kind of children do they have?

A: Children with an elevated BMI


Q: Why do the children have an elevated BMI?

A: Because they've been hit with a double whammy, genes that predispose them to an increased BMI and a behavior set from their parents that includes the consumption of high calorie foods and a sedentary lifestyle.
 

D22

Senior member
Nov 13, 2004
396
0
0
Bottom Line - There is no excuse to be fat.

Somebody find me a person who is going to get fat on a 1000-1500 calorie diet consisting of 60% protein and that runs 5 miles a day with 30 minutes of weight training a day...

Anybody? Drink some whey protein people, oh yeah and get on a treadmill!
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,355
19,535
146
Originally posted by: D22
Bottom Line - There is no excuse to be fat.

Somebody find me a person who is going to get fat on a 1000-1500 calorie diet consisting of 60% protein and that runs 5 miles a day with 30 minutes of weight training a day...

Anybody? Drink some whey protein people, oh yeah and get on a treadmill!

What if your hunger literally drives you mad? Nags at you constantly like an addiction that can and will never be broken? What if your body's needs and desires are stronger than any will power imaginable?

What if this compulsion to eat were genetic? What if this genetic compulsion becomes hazardous in today's society?

It is not, nor will it ever be as simple as just "don't eat as much." If it were, 90+% of dieters would not be failing long term as they do.
 

OSX

Senior member
Feb 9, 2006
662
0
0
Genetics may play a part, but if there wasn't a disparity between energy in and out, there wouldn't be anything to get fat off.
 

Kur

Senior member
Feb 19, 2005
677
0
0
Because # of Fast Food Restaurants > # of Health places to eat.

No even to mention prices, like fast food is everywhere, health places are here and there.
 

imported_inspire

Senior member
Jun 29, 2006
986
0
0
Originally posted by: Mike Gayner
Lets make this simple for Amused: What's changed in the last 100 years? Food - yes. Diets and eating habits - yes. Activity levels - yes. Genetics - NO. But you're telling me that America's obesity problem is caused by genetics, and not your lazy lifestyles and over indulgence?

Genetics, as a body of knowledge, has changed a lot over the last 100 years. Thus, our understanding of the causal effects and associations it bears has, in turned, changed significantly over the past 100 years.
 

Nutdotnet

Diamond Member
Dec 5, 2000
7,721
3
81
Man...I can believe there is such a discussion/debate on this.

People are FAT because of two things:

1.) Choice

2.) Health Problems


People CHOOSE to be fat. It's that simple. If Mr. or Ms. Fatty goes to lunch at Mc. FatFvcks everyday they are going to be fat. SURE, genectic plays into that (metabolism differences) however, a person who has a naturally low metabolism simply needs to watch what they eat and get off their fat-ass and exercise.

The health problems is a different story, but not by much. People with Thyroid problems can suffer from being overweight, but this can be combated with...you guessed it, medication, a healthy diet, and exercise.

There's NO excuse to be fat.