Bizarre culprits behind why we're getting fat: plastics, air conditioners, & contagious love handles

Yes, obesity is a complex subject. And, yes it can be genetic. My family has a tendency to be obese due to metabolic problems, pancreatic and thyroid, adrenal,... At an early age I began paying attn. to my weight as my mother was told to lose wt. for multiple health reasons. So I wanted to give her some one to do it with, and i was kinda chubby. I learned how to keep myself at a comfortable range through out my life. I have medical problems but I've worked hard to find what I need to change and how to adapt by many ways. It is complex. And it takes alot of help and education but it IS my body, who else is going to take care of it?

"In other words, if we can reverse the process the virus uses to make fat, it may one day be possible to create drugs that eliminate the need for diet and exercise"

Woah! I bet that's something that's giving Fitness First / Virgin Active Excec's sleepless nights!

Ok, I think I am doing things right. I am scrimping on the air conditioning, quite plastics, and I am height weight proper. I quit eating in restaurants too. East small amounts of meat occassionally and do eat shrimp gumbo.

Being someone who's a Food Science and Nutrition/Dietetics major, I can tell you that only about two of those theories have any validity to them; sleep deprivation and relationships.

Don't eat simple carbs...eat complex carbs...google it.

yes I'm parroting health experts from all over the world, sorry you have a thyroid problem

@osixo6 you are full of self righteous shit. You think you know all on the subject but its obvious that you are only parroting what you heard some where to support your view that people are fat because they are lazy pigs.

only a small percentage of the population suffers from obesity because of a genetic predisposition. Some of you need to stop trying to find reasons why you are fat and start realizing what you are putting into your body... If you eat 4000 calories a day and only burn 2000 you're going to get fat, if you eat a bunch of saturated fat you're going to clog your arteries, abdominal growth is the first sign of poor insulin production, a precursor to your future diabetes... for the fat people that are predisposed to their condition because of genetics well you're fine just the way you are, everyone else if you are fat and you have a problem with it stop looking for an excuse and go fucking exercise. I have many fat friends and family members, all whom are fat from their lifestyle choices.

i do think obesity is a problem but really the problem is eating unhealthy foods and lack of exercise. As almost all habits good or bad they are learned through some source. I feel we should start taking care of the children and instiling in them good eating habits and showing them different ways they can stay healthy. Schools dont need soda machienes or vending machiens that contain unhealthy foods. why are there not more healthy foods in the lunch line. fruits and vegies.

Most obese people suffer from metabolic syndrome in which the bodies normal insulin process malfunctions and body fat production goes into overdrive.

While I don't think getting rid of air conditioning will make everyone slim and trim, these are some interesting theories

I'm naturally a twig and wouldn't even think to talk to obese or overweight people the way that a few people in this thread feel they can. I have bigger friends and see that they aren't lazy, don't overeat, and that obesity runs in their family. So to everyone thinking of leaving a comment--have some compassion before you tell everyone how perfect you are and what a piece of shit they are...

Wow. Push away from the twinkie fattie. Probably naturally thin people thinking that they are special. There are reasons that people are fat that are more than just being lazy and having no will power.

osixo6, bravo, I drink alot of water and I'm not overweight. Plus I eat good food, not stuff myself with diet junk and diet pop, then eat a diet icecream sundae. Eat the vegies first, then the protein, then the simple carbs. By then (if you chewed the food) you should start to fill full.
Or eat slowly and finish not filling full and shrink your stomach to a normal size. Staving yourself puts you in starvation mode, and harder to lose wt.

Like many things in this world, it's complicated.

When the average piece of chicken has increased 264% over the last few decades, not everything is as clear as "you eat too much".

Being healthy is more than being thin, its being conscious of a variety of factors that make up the world around us.

How about not knowing when to push away form the table, and eating until you can hardly breath? i think either of those could play apart in the obesity problem.

the article pic is really messy with my manhood...please change it.

My heros are on the NBC show "Biggest Losers".

put down that twinkie fatty.... Drink more water, hunger is often mistaken for thirst as they share the same part of the brain, invest in a water filtration system that leaves vital nutrients intact but removes most of the harmful chlorine found in tap water (this includes bottled water which usually is tap water) instead of that second oreo grab a glass of aqua... fatty

I agree that many of those are serious things to consider in ones life choices, but I don't really think that people who are shoving fast food in their mouths and eating processed crap food are fat because of them. Just take a look in the grocery carts waiting in line with you at the checkout.

Science has known for years artificial sweetners are actually adding to obesity. We also tend to eat so fast we don't get the 'full' sign until we've stuffed ourselves silly.
And I have always thought plastics in food and beverages containers (and wrap) have to be bad for you, smell a plastic tumbler after it's been used for something like koolaid, then washed : it still smells like the koolaid so its absorbing chemicals so it's most likely leeching them,too!

I have a feeling that staying healthy is actually much simpler than all of these excuses lead one to believe.

funny how the lack of internal mammary glands makes images like this acceptable to censors.

The most powerful antidote is called WILL POWER, something many lack in this country in many areas.
No wonder fast food chains are still (even today) profitable.

Barred having some kind of glandular defect. If someone decides NOT to be obese, he or she will not be.