Why do we get fat?

    • Why do we get fat?

      Why do we get fat? 8
      1.  
        Some people have broken setpoints (3) 38%
      2.  
        Food reward = increase in adipose tissue (2) 25%
      3.  
        Leptin insensitivity (2) 25%
      4.  
        Carbs (2) 25%
      5.  
        Fat (4) 50%
      6.  
        Other (specify in post) (5) 63%
      I want to know what everyone thinks the reasoning of "why" we get fat, not how.

      We are eating more calories on average than we did just a few decades ago, but the question is why. If I get any replies that'd be great, I thought this would be a fun exercise.

      I might as well explain them don't you think?:

      Setpoint theory: We have a "fat thermostat" that likes to keep us within 10-35% within a weight
      Food reward is obvious
      Leptin is a cytokine (special proinflammatory protein) that signals satiety to the brain
      Carbohydrates are 4kcals/g, they only create lipogenesis in petree dishes
      Fat is 9kcals/g, everyone knows what this is hopefully

      And yes, I put the carbohydrate hint.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Torn ().

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      Dirk Valentine wrote:

      Genetics.

      Mayhaps.

      Dexter. wrote:

      Saving energy, like bears do in the summer to last through the winter, except we don't lose the fat by hibernating or fasting for a long time, so it just keeps adding up until you're morbidly obese.

      What about homeostatic (energy balancing) laws? Second law of thermodynamics (thermic effect of food would come into play)? The hypothalamic parameters in our fat thermostat? The years of research backing food reward having a feedback loop to our hypothalamus?
      /devil's advocate

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      Gryphen wrote:

      I thinks it's a mix between genetics and lack of exercise/sedentary lifestyle.

      Genetics determine your metabolism and if you dont do anything about it you'll gain weight

      Fatness leads to inactivity, but inactivity d... [Arch Dis Child. 2010] - PubMed - NCBI
      "Conclusions Physical inactivity appears to be the result of fatness rather than its cause. This reverse causality may explain why attempts to tackle childhood obesity by promoting PA have been largely unsuccessful."

      Genetics are most likely a factor.

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      Dexter. wrote:

      Saving energy, like bears do in the summer to last through the winter, except we don't lose the fat by hibernating or fasting for a long time, so it just keeps adding up until you're morbidly obese.

      How do you explain animals that don't hibernate or those that live in warmer climates? :p

      Dirk Valentine wrote:

      Genetics.

      Probably to some degree.

      I'm sure it's a combination of a number of genetic/physiological and environmental factors. That's why it's so difficult to pinpoint.

      Torn wrote:

      Fatness leads to inactivity, but inactivity d... [Arch Dis Child. 2010] - PubMed - NCBI
      "Conclusions Physical inactivity appears to be the result of fatness rather than its cause. This reverse causality may explain why attempts to tackle childhood obesity by promoting PA have been largely unsuccessful."

      I can see where they're coming from with this study, but it only applies to children (ie: there are plenty of people who are very active in high school, graduate and become inactive, then gain weight). End even then, I don't think it applies in every case.

      I'm not going to argue that promoting physical activity is successful, but let's face it - it's a difficult battle. There are also tons of programs to try to get people to eat healthier, and many people don't. Just because you equip someone with knowledge doesn't mean they'll use it.

      When obesity wasn't as common, the environment in which people lived was substantially different. Nowadays, people don't have to move very much and they don't have to cook for themselves or eat healthy, and there is very little incentive for them to do.

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      Scaredycrow wrote:


      I can see where they're coming from with this study, but it only applies to children (ie: there are plenty of people who are very active in high school, graduate and become inactive, then gain weight). End even then, I don't think it applies in every case.

      I'm not going to argue that promoting physical activity is successful, but let's face it - it's a difficult battle. There are also tons of programs to try to get people to eat healthier, and many people don't. Just because you equip someone with knowledge doesn't mean they'll use it.

      When obesity wasn't as common, the environment in which people lived was substantially different. Nowadays, people don't have to move very much and they don't have to cook for themselves or eat healthy, and there is very little incentive for them to do.

      The demographic was a rather weird choice, I agree. I don't think that eating less and moving more doesn't work- never denied that, there's too much empirical data to say it doesn't. My question was more directed at people who think that you gain weight only one way (i.e. calories in > calories out, despite them being dependent variables), which is rather nonsensical.

      Eating healthy is all fine and dandy. In fact many authors are talking about the rhetoric in the obesity epidemic (one book is coming out called "Talking Fat," one program that emphasizes the fact that being overweight is not the same as being unhealthy is "Health at Every Size" by Linda Bacon).

      I never said that exercise isn't healthy, but the question is whether someone who is on an exercise + diet regimen will gain weight back no matter how hard they try to stay on point.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Torn ().

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      Why? I blame technology. Everyone just became superlazy and stuff. Some people can't even walk two blocks to school (my fucking sister) because they think it's "too far". If you eat tons of unhealthy fast food, play video games the whole day, and never exercise then don't fucking wonder why you're such a fatass.

      Some people just have slow metabolism and get fat easily

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      Baldur wrote:

      Why? I blame technology. Everyone just became superlazy and stuff. Some people can't even walk two blocks to school (my fucking sister) because they think it's "too far". If you eat tons of unhealthy fast food, play video games the whole day, and never exercise then don't fucking wonder why you're such a fatass.

      Some people just have slow metabolism and get fat easily

      You sort of contradicted yourself:

      Why? #1 We're inactive
      Why? #2 Some have slow metabolisms and get fat easily

      The first sounded like inactivity was the problem, but I know kids who eat nothing but chex mix and other horrible things while playing games and such; and they don't have any weight problems.

      Then you went on to say that that the reason some people get fat, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that the people with both slow metabolisms and lazy habits gain weight, while there was no proposed reason as to why some can be inactive and maintain.

      I might as well point out that the link I posted to chriskresser.com showed that there is no one cause or treatment for obesity. Sure there are people with high setpoints, sure there are people who have problems in the reward problem of the brain, sure some people have leptin resistance, sure some react well to low carb diets, sure lowering fat intake is going to make it easier to cut calories due to density... But the myriad of problems in the medical world are due to reductionism- we think that obesity is a worldwide problem because people are gluttons and sloths all of the sudden... How can a 5 year-old weigh 25 pounds more than they should? How do you explain obesity rising in China, Austria, and other places which are among those who are projected to live the longest? You simply can't.

      You can't blame it on a single factor; I was hoping people wouldn't try to "LUL PICK URRY CHOICE" and actually pick "other," yes, I know, it's a trick question.

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      Genetics and Nutrient ratios will have some impact on how fast fat is gained, but it's not an important factor.

      At the end of the day it's just simple math. If calories in is greater than calories out then you gain weight.

      Provided an individual is "normal" eg no diseases causing weight gain, then only their food and excercise choices are stopping them from being lean, fit, and healthy.

      Supermodel skinny is not realistic(or healthy(or attractive)) for most people, but being fit enough to run 10km a day is well with in the average persons grasp.

      jordan132;1506655 wrote:

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      The post was edited 1 time, last by _Frank_ ().

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      _Frank_ wrote:

      Genetics and Nutrient ratios will have some impact on how fast fat is gained, but it's not an important factor.

      At the end of the day it's just simple math. If calories in is greater than calories out then you gain weight.

      Provided an individual is "normal" eg no diseases causing weight gain, then only their food and excercise choices are stopping them from being lean, fit, and healthy.

      Supermodel skinny is not realistic(or healthy(or attractive)) for most people, but being fit enough to run 10km a day is well with in the average persons grasp.

      The fact that we're eating more than we used to already was established in post 1. Without a doubt, the reason as to how 99% of us get fat is because we're eating more, but it does fuckall to explain why we're eating more.

      lazyday wrote:

      lol this is stupid. if u workout u wont get fat. if ur fat, go running untill ur not. then keep working out and u wont be.

      Yes, because we should advocate every overweight person an "eat less, move more" tactic, because apparently still no one realizes there is no one cause of, or treatment for, obesity.

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      Torn wrote:

      The demographic was a rather weird choice, I agree.

      Because I'm fairly confident that it's the only demographic where someone could confidently make that type of conclusion. :p I know it's silly of me to want to contradict a journal article, but I just don't think their conclusion tells the whole story. It's not the kind of information I'd want to parade around.

      "Fatness leads to inactivity..." - Yes. This makes logical sense to me even without the numbers provided in the study. And childhood obesity predicts adult obesity, which I think correlates well with this conclusion.

      "... but inactivity does not lead to fatness" - No. Active people who become inactive without changing other aspects of their lifestyle can easily gain weight (becoming inactive can put you at risk of weight gain). Of course, inactivity doesn't guarantee that someone will become overweight; I just think it can be factor. Assuming I'm interpreting it correctly, the conclusion of that study can't address teens & adults who aren't obese when they're children.

      I also don't think it can properly explain the growing obesity trends (particularly in children) in the past 30-40 years. I doubt there's been a massive change in our general genetic makeup in that period of time, so assuming there hasn't somehow been an influx of obesity-related genes, the most prominent change that has occurred is in our environment. It's easier for us to eat more and move less. And both of these things (in combination with genetics -- perhaps our environment now makes it easier for certain genes to manifest themselves) can dramatically impact our physiology and biochemical pathways in a number of different ways - including but not limited to some of the things you originally listed.

      I don't mean to ignore the rest of your post but I think we're pretty much in agreement; it's just that study that I take issue with. I hope I've answered your question, though. :)

    • Re: Why do we get fat?

      Scaredycrow wrote:

      I also don't think it can properly explain the growing obesity trends (particularly in children) in the past 30-40 years. I doubt there's been a massive change in our general genetic makeup in that period of time, so assuming there hasn't somehow been an influx of obesity-related genes, the most prominent change that has occurred is in our environment. It's easier for us to eat more and move less. And both of these things (in combination with genetics -- perhaps our environment now makes it easier for certain genes to manifest themselves) can dramatically impact our physiology and biochemical pathways in a number of different ways - including but not limited to some of the things you originally listed.

      So inactivity has risen because... We eat and don't move. So this explains people who are generally inactive, but I don't think we can go from an average BMI to a BMI >30 within 20 years because we suddenly have computer nerds reproducing like horny rabbits.

      I think it has to do more with some aspect of diet than pattern of exercise (in most cases)/"genetics" (isn't it funny how the more agrarian we got the more genetics had to do with everything?)