lexxerduglas:

How we’ve come to believe that overeating causes obesity

soselfimportant:

thyroxine:

dressesandyarn:

picklemethis:

“The biological reality of our weights and weight control, and the effects of dieting, were clinically demonstrated more than 50 years ago in what remains the definitive research on the subject. The findings in this famous study, revolutionary at the time, have been replicated in the most precise, complicated metabolic studies of food intake behavior, energy expenditure and the biochemistry of fat conducted by the country’s top obesity researchers.

This classic study made the most important contributions to our understanding of dieting, yet surprisingly few consumers today have ever heard of it.”

This is the first time I’ve seen this article and a description of this research. I am beyond astounded by the cognitive dissonance of our society and the sheer amount of lies behind the diet industry, and from doctors.

I’ve never heard of this study and it’s pretty fascinating. All of the behaviors we associate with anorexia nervousa seem to actually be the biological result of starvation.

This is a fascinating read, and it certainly compels me to brush up on my knowledge of the physiology behind all this!

whoa this is a cool ass article

This is probably an overreaction, so I’m going to tuck the following wall of text under a cut and save those who don’t want an earful of whistle-blowing (apparently I can’t do that on link reblogs oh well??). I’m the daughter of a nurse of 30 years who has had first-hand experience with obesity induced or exacerbated health complications among her patients and as such I have some VERY STRONG OPINIONS about weight as a health issue, so this kind of thing tends to ruffle my feathers.

I’m used to blogs being biased and one-sided, but I felt like I had missed some important point somewhere and became increasingly uneasy about the legitimacy of the argument as the article went on. The information it was feeding me was presented in a light that insisted it was consistent with the point the author was trying to make, when much of it felt either twisted, or that it was making a different point altogether, or that other important information was being omitted. At the end of it, I wanted to know how that study was relevant to overeating as a causation of obesity, or how being obese could possibly be construed as healthy, because I just wasn’t making the connection.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the study involved a group of fit, healthy young men, not a group of obese individuals, yes? So it would make perfect sense that these previously healthy individuals would arrive back at their “genetic set point,” encompassing a broad range of sizes, without becoming obese, right? Pointing out that they engaged in what would normally be considered “overeating” during their recovery period has nothing to do with the kind of overating that occurs in society today. As one of the doctors running the study remarked, they needed to consume extra calories during their recovery period for tissue repair.

What does this have to do with people overeating and becoming unhealthily obese? Where’s the study that shows obese individuals consuming normal caloric intake and walking three miles and maintaining their obesity, or individuals engaging in overeating and becoming obese with no negative medical impact, or healthy and fit individuals becoming obese by way of something other than overeating (or hypothyroidism)? The study on starvation effect would be relevant for a piece on eating disorder causation, what the crap does it have to do with obesity?

Instead of continuing on to argue with the article, which I’m not really qualified to do, I took a little initiative. I don’t like to take things at face value only to find out they were written that way to sensationalize an issue or actually had no founded basis to begin with. I’ve been duped before. So I poked around on the internet a little bit, just to see what I could find about the author and her work.

She has a Bachelor’s of Science in nursing and is a practicing nurse with 30 years of experience… in neonatal care. Her degree isn’t in food sciences, kinesiology, or physology, and it’s a four year degree at that. Not a PhD, nor a Master’s. Nothing to indicate ongoing studies in relevant fields. Okay. Not being an expert doesn’t preclude her from blogging or publishing print articles about it reliably so long as the information she supports her expositions with is well-researched and viable. Let’s read some of her other blog articles. Man she… really thinks the medical field at large is trying to pull the wool over our eyes, decrying everything from the threat of mercury in fish, to the widespread “misconceptions” surrounding obesity, to the growing evidence that chemical preservatives aren’t very good for us.

Oh, it looks like I’m not the only one uncomfortable with the way she presents information. This MD/PhD in physiology sure has some interesting things to say on the matter. And by interesting, I mean disconcerting.

I’m all for challenging unhealthy societal “norms” reinforced by profit mongering media and a government that doesn’t have the patience to do sufficient legwork before writing legislation on shit it doesn’t understand. It’s also really nice to find articles that don’t demonize individuals for their weight problems.

But I can’t agree with anyone who tries to absolve people from a personal responsibility to maintain a healthy weight, ESPECIALLY when they deliberately misconstrue medical data to do so. A few extra pounds isn’t bad, being a little overweight can still be healthy, and everyone’s body is different. There’s nothing wrong with being comfortable with how you are, if you’re truly free of physical discomfort or ailments. Sometimes eating right and exercising isn’t enough due to medical conditions that are difficult to control, and I understand that not everyone has the time, funds, or willpower to overcome these challenges, but obesity is not healthy. So please…

Please.

Don’t let misinformation and a hatred for shitty media ideals lull you into thinking otherwise :c

Thanks Lexx! I thought the information seemed rather… odd. And unfounded.

guys look lexxi has written cool stuff about this read it