General Medicine

» Alicia Mae Prater - What should be done to fight obesity?

Obesity is on the rise because the guidelines that define it have been changed to include more people in a "treatable" category. BMI is not a good measure, it doesn't take into account bone density and muscle mass or the structure of the individual. Let people eat what they want...educate about exercise and the risks associated with obesity and family history of disorders such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Genetics have not been able to evolve to select for those suited to surviving in today's world of high sugar and high fat processed foods in addition to the lack of exercise most people get. We come from ancestral lines that worked their muscles more, ate less, and lived shorter lives. Modern medicine has thrown off the evolution of the species and left us with problems that occur with old age and sedentary lifestyles.

The best thing we can do is accept that some people are bigger than others and leave them to live their lives comfortably. From a public health aspect it really isn't their fault - it's genetics for most. Recent research (and I met the researcher, he is great to hear talk) has found proteins in the body such as leptin that are responsible for keeping a person hungry.

Education is probably the best we can do. Along with research to develop treatments that help and not hurt.