The Obesity Era?

[omni550]

"Obviously, if [lab] animals are getting heavier along with us, it can’t just be that they’re eating more Snickers bars and driving to work most days. On the contrary, the trend suggests some widely shared cause, beyond the control of individuals, which is contributing to obesity across many species."

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-obesity-era?utm_source=pocket-newtab

omni

 

[Amethyst]

Like kids, animals don't run around outside the way they used to.

Cats used to stay slim and trim by hunting outdoors. Dogs just ran around. Nowadays, most people keep their pets indoors.

Also, people entertain themselves by feeding "treats" to their pets.

 

[pacergal]

Interesting article.

 

[Nemo2]

Like kids, animals don't run around outside the way they used to.

Cats used to stay slim and trim by hunting outdoors. Dogs just ran around. Nowadays, most people keep their pets indoors.

Also, people entertain themselves by feeding "treats" to their pets.

Sums it up. +1

 

[Rianne]

DH took my DD to the vet last week, yearly check-up. His ribs show, he gets 2 good (one 45 min-1 hour and 2nd 30 min). He eats 3 cups/day + a few treats. He's beautiful and I get many compliments on him. He's in my avatar. 90 lbs.

Veterinarian is clearly overweight, possibly obese. She wants him (DD) to lose 10 lbs. Seriously?

 

[Aerides]

Had the animals cited been in the wild, it would be interesting. But the examples listed are lab and domesticated animals. So it would follow that they going to have similar results as their owners/environment.

Even if the lab environments are "strictly controlled" we know that requires further study. Is the kibble being served today the same as 30 years ago? Unlikely. Probably more processed and more sugary than before, just like 80% of the grocery store.

 

[GravitySucks]

Interesting article. Timely as I'm back to being serious about weight loss right now. I've always thought we all have different metabolisms. And now maybe the lighting and HVAC control of our environments
are also helping the pounds stay on. Here's to hoping the gut Flora and bacteria considerations could be leading to something soon.
Unfortunately, I can only continue lowering calories in and expending calories out for now. It will work.


‘Dear obese PhD applicants: if you don’t have the willpower to stop eating carbs, you won’t have the willpower to do a dissertation. #truth.’*

Yes let's discriminate against the overweight. I think we're the last allowable target out there. I've always felt discriminated against for my size.

 

[Amethyst]

Good question. I would not be surprised if dog kibble has more sugars in it. But cats, true carnivores, are unable to taste sweetness. So why would manufacturers put more sugar in cat food? (Just in case the owner decides to taste it? )

Is the kibble being served today the same as 30 years ago? Unlikely. Probably more processed and more sugary than before, just like 80% of the grocery store.

 

[Amethyst]

We recently moved from a home with two staircases, to one that has none.

I routinely remind Mr. A. that our home no longer has the means to keep him in shape - better not skip the gym.

Muscle mass/tone, not weight control, is the issue for us. Ever since we cut snack foods out of our diet, we are both on the thin side. Mindless snacking, encouraged both by our culture and naturally enough by advertisers, is my choice for the No. 1 Villain of Obesity. There are others...but this has to be a major one.

 

[Chuckanut]

I think we can be pretty sure that 'kibble' is a very processed food created in a factory. Sound familiar? OTOH, if the animals ate natural foods they found on the ground, and hunted for meat, I suspect they would be slimmer.

 

[Amethyst]

Well, I've lived with cats since the early 1960's, and all of them ate processed food (I don't think they ever ate their catch; they used to line up the corpses at the back door for us to admire). They got the occasional scrap of meat or fish from dinner, but very limited amounts.

Until the 2000s, my cats always ran around outside. The only overweight cat we ever had was the indoor one.

I think we can be pretty sure that 'kibble' is a very processed food created in a factory. Sound familiar? OTOH, if the animals ate natural foods they found on the ground, and hunted for meat, I suspect they would be slimmer.

 

[Chuckanut]

Yes let's discriminate against the overweight. I think we're the last allowable target out there. I've always felt discriminated against for my size.

I agree that the overweight people are one of the few groups that can still be targeted, thought that is changing. 'Fat shaming' is becoming an issue and has brought down a few people including a beauty queen, IIRC.

 

[MRG]

I think we can be pretty sure that 'kibble' is a very processed food created in a factory. Sound familiar? OTOH, if the animals ate natural foods they found on the ground, and hunted for meat, I suspect they would be slimmer.

When I see deer, elk, fox, lions they're lean. Funny how fighting for survival is a great weight loss tool.

We have a Maltese, today he weighs ~12 pounds. He was about 19 pounds when I took him to the vet's for his weight. "Oh, don't feed him that kibble, feed him this instead." Boom 7 pounds gone.

 

[Amethyst]

And speaking of obesity, we just returned from a 2-week tour of Italy with 17 other U.S. and Canadian couples, all aged 55 and over. Only one (a man) could have been considered obese; his wife was a bit plump. Most of us, however, were normal weight. And we were eating three very good meals a day!

 

[pj.mask]

You would be surprised how much energy/strength is required to play outside. If you don’t believe me go out and do the monkey bars just once - like you used to all recess long in school.

People sit inside all day, maybe from comfort of AC. Add processed food - and ever increasing quantities. I consciously cut my food intake by 50% since college, many of my obese friends haven’t. Shelf life on candy and sweets are measured in months. Healthy Whole Foods expire in days-weeks. Major cost differential also.

Sugar is a drug. Same brain response and same withdrawals. You can’t look down on drug addicts if you’re obese drinking you 128oz Dr Pepper - it’s the same issue, making poor choices that are bad for your health.

Then obese people often (consciously of unconsciously) try to normalize their weight by thinking healthy weight (people and pets) are “too skinny”. Or saying the BMI scale is totally wrong, I’m only 50% above a healthy BMI weight but it’s because I have big bones or built “muscular”

 

[Amethyst]

People do indeed have differing metabolisms, just as they have different builds. I am one of three full siblings, children of two normal-weight parents. We were all raised on the same Mom's (healthy) cooking.

We all take after different relatives; you'd never take us for siblings; and we have completely different body types. Our attitudes toward, and responses to diet and exercise are (not surprisingly) quite divergent. There are no slackers among us. We are just physically different.

 

[Amethyst]

You're not kidding. I wasn't an athletic child; in fact, I was a geeky little book reader; yet I can see well-developed muscles in photos of me as a kid, just from playing and yardwork.

Kids were riding their bikes up and down the street all day long, just for fun, not thinking about exercise. Not a heavy kid on the block. And we ate candy and chips any chance we got

You would be surprised how much energy/strength is required to play outside. If you don’t believe me go out and do the monkey bars just once - like you used to all recess long in school.

”

 

[joeea]

Veterinarian is clearly overweight, possibly obese. She wants him (DD) to lose 10 lbs. Seriously?

Would you have taken your vet's opinion more seriously if she wasn't overweight?

Large dogs often develop hip issues as they age. Staying slim can avoid some of that.

If you don't trust your vet, get a new one. But don't choose one based solely on their weight. That makes no sense.

 

[joeea]

"On the contrary, the trend suggests some widely shared cause, beyond the control of individuals, which is contributing to obesity across many species."

People think of their pets as "family", as pseudo-people, as children.

I hear lots of folks using the terms "fur baby", "little buddy", "best friend", "DD", etc. I see folks in my neighborhood carrying their small animals, and pushing them around in strollers.

If people are getting more obese and their human children are getting more obese, is it really surprising that their animals are getting obese as well?

"Beyond the control of individuals"? Hmm...

 

[RetiredGypsy]

Why is the calorie and the body's use of it such an ongoing mystery to so many?

 

[ckelly78z]

My 65# Aussie is now 8 years old, and prefers to stay inside. Whenever I go outdoors, I always make it a point to have him follow along, and throw a stick a few times in our barnyard to get him some exercise. He also loves running along with my dirtbike on the farm lanes, and trails. I do see many cats/dogs that are way overweight that are allowed to eat whatever amount they want.

These animals should be given a specific amount of a good quality feed at a certain time of the day, so they are standing there waiting on it.

 

[Big_Hitter]

it's unbelievable - i've never seen so many fat kids in my life and I grew up in Houston

 

[Chuckanut]

Sugar is a drug. Same brain response and same withdrawals. You can’t look down on drug addicts if you’re obese drinking you 128oz Dr Pepper - it’s the same issue, making poor choices that are bad for your health.

Then obese people often (consciously of unconsciously) try to normalize their weight by thinking healthy weight (people and pets) are “too skinny”. Or saying the BMI scale is totally wrong, I’m only 50% above a healthy BMI weight but it’s because I have big bones or built “muscular”

+1 on sugar. It lights up the brains pleasure centers just like some drugs to.

Despite my sympathy for people who struggle to control their weight, one gripe I have with overweight people is how they describe people like me as being 'thin'. I am not thin by any means. I am height weight proportional. Calling me thin is misleading. If I were to add back the sugar I have purged from my diet and the processed foods I could easily enter the 'few extra pounds' zone in just a few months.

IMHO, the fact remains that for 30 years the Feds and the Medical Establishment have been telling people the wrong things about eating and weight control, thus further victimizing people who are struggling to control their weight. Remember, there was a time not that long ago when highly processed sugar bomb cereals were labeled as being healthy for our hearts. That was good advice?

 

[mpeirce]

+1 on sugar. It lights up the brains pleasure centers just like some drugs to.

Yeah, but it's gotta be more than just sugar.

I was skinny as a rail as a kid and drank copious amounts of KoolAid - and I recalling adding a cup of sugar to each half gallon we made. It was like drinking sugar water - no, it WAS drinking sugar water. I also ate toast with cinnamon sugar piled high on it too.

Maybe running around outside all the time kept us slim... I don't know.

 

[6miths]

Why is the calorie and the body's use of it such an ongoing mystery to so many?

I was hoping that you were going to clear it all up for me.