Regicollis
25th July 2012, 23:03
I jut read an interview with an obesity researcher who works with the Danish Obesity Research Center. He made the interesting claim that people don't become obese because they are lazy and lacking in character but that people overeat because the brain experiences a need to build up a reserve.
This drive to store energy in the form of fat comes about whenever somebody is insecure. The simple explanation is that when the brain becomes worried about where food will come from in the future, it tells the body to store fat.
This connects well with the American obesity epidemic starting when Reagan took office and wrought havoc on the FDR era welfare programmes. Britain also experienced an increase in obesity when Thatcher took office. A study from the US also shows that people who experience most food insecurity is also much more likely to be obese.
Another find of the study is that the current condescending and negative attitude towards the obese is actually making the problem worse since the social stigmatisation is causing them to feel more insecure.
So in short capitalism makes you fat ;)
I think it is interesting when somebody researches the social causes - and thus politicises - previously "apolitical" problems. I think that if you scratch the surface of many problems with substance abuse, crime, psychological disorders etc. just the tiniest bit you will find capitalism as a contributing factor.
This drive to store energy in the form of fat comes about whenever somebody is insecure. The simple explanation is that when the brain becomes worried about where food will come from in the future, it tells the body to store fat.
This connects well with the American obesity epidemic starting when Reagan took office and wrought havoc on the FDR era welfare programmes. Britain also experienced an increase in obesity when Thatcher took office. A study from the US also shows that people who experience most food insecurity is also much more likely to be obese.
Another find of the study is that the current condescending and negative attitude towards the obese is actually making the problem worse since the social stigmatisation is causing them to feel more insecure.
So in short capitalism makes you fat ;)
I think it is interesting when somebody researches the social causes - and thus politicises - previously "apolitical" problems. I think that if you scratch the surface of many problems with substance abuse, crime, psychological disorders etc. just the tiniest bit you will find capitalism as a contributing factor.