Why are we all getting so fat? It is modern plague that stretches across the world affecting not only just the affluent west but also the poorer countries as well.
Globally, the statistics are mind boggling. There are more obese people in the world than those who don’t have enough food to eat
Increasingly, some scientists are starting to ask, could it be more complicated? Are there other reasons why some people seem to put on weight easily, where as others burn off excess food with no weight gain? The truth is that there are many factors about the obesity epidemic which are extremely hard to explain.
For more than a decade, it s been claimed that a germ called adenovirus could be making us fat. Animal experiments carried out in the past decade show that one strain, AD-36, can cause spectacular weight gain in monkeys.
It also appears that a lot of received wisdom on the effects of being overweight is wrong. Indeed, while we are all getting fatter, we are also living longer.
Even if we accept that being mildly overweight may not be that bad, we must surely agree that a diet of fast food is a guaranteed route to an early grave? Well, maybe. Take Morgan Spurlock, the
We were told this previously lean, healthy young man put-on a lot of weight, became stressed, lost his sex drive, and even started to suffer from liver failure. As a result his film is not cited as evidence that fast food kills.
Regardless of such theories, there is clear link between obesity and wealth. A century ago, the poor were skinny and the rich plump. Now that is reversed. Food is cheaper than ever and bad food is cheapest of all. The wealthy look after themselves and this means walking more, running more, cycling more and playing more sport. There is strong correlation between household income and hours of TV watched per week, with the poor spending most time in front of the box.
Yes, we fat because we eat too much but it is becoming clear that while we are what we eat, our genes and maybe even pollution and viruses is important.
Knowing this will not make the obesity problem go away, but it may remove some of the stigma for millions.
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