New Scientist magazine recent ran an article on causes of obesity other than the well known 'calories in vs calories burned' part. Some of the interesting causes include lack of sleep, climate control, drugs, (not) smoking and pollution. Most of the other issues were related to selective pressure and the condition mothers are in when they give birth.

One cause they left out is the changing nature of our food. This is not just that we are eating more highly processed foods. Our fresh food is also different. Fertilisers, chemicals and breeding programs have allowed rapid increases in the size of fruits and vegetables. However, a lot of this increase is in the form of extra water and sugar - not necessarily nutritional value. Our bodies sense the need for more nutrients and make us eat more. Of course, the same argument applies to processed foods, and is probably a stronger effect there.

The New Scientist article:

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19225760.900-the-10-roads-to-fatsville.html

The 10 roads to Fatsville
03 November 2006

Ask anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it's all down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That is undoubtedly true - you cannot get round the first law of thermodynamics. It's also true that we live in an "obesogenic environment": calorific food is plentiful and cheap and our lifestyles are increasingly sedentary. Most of us have to make an effort not to get fat.

That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it.

Earlier this year a review paper by 20 obesity experts set out the 10 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic (International Journal of Obesity, DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803326).

Quitting smoking may also be a cause.  I've gained about 10 - maybe more - since last year at this time. 

10 what?

According to another recent study based on a controlled test, if you eat slowly you will consume less, enjoy your food more and feel fuller an hour later.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/US-study-links-suburban-sprawl-to-weight/2006/12/19/1166290520170.html

US children who live in expansive suburbs may start to pay for it with expansive waistlines, new research suggests.

Using data from a national health survey, researchers found that teenagers living in sprawling suburbs were more than twice as likely to be overweight as teens in more compact urban areas.

The findings echo those of a 2003 study by the same researchers that focused on US adults. The researchers believe the same factors may be driving the link between suburban living and teenagers' weight - the major one being reliance on cars.

Experts believe that trans fatty acid is the cause of our obesity.  Denmark has already banned it - and we should really follow.

[[Unlike other fats, trans fats are neither required nor beneficial for health. Eating trans fat increases the risk of coronary heart disease. For these reasons, health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are generally considered to be more of a health risk than those occurring naturally.]]

These are the fats used in takeaway foods and biscuits and breads that are shiny, but apparently this is where a big part of the problem lies.

As far as Americans giving their dogs diet pills - this is ridiculous.  Maybe they should just take the poor animals for more walks - it will help them as well.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/aussies-scale-new-heights-in-obesity/2007/02/22/1171733955297.html

WE MAY have produced such fine athletic specimens as Cathy Freeman, Ian Thorpe and Brett Lee, but it seems Australia has also produced a nation of fatties.

The dubious honour has been handed down by the Forbes organisation, which released its list of the fattest countries based on body mass index, a measure of weight relative to height.

Australia weighed in at 21st, with almost 70 per cent of the population considered overweight or obese, based on recent estimates from the World Health Organisation.

Of the top 10 countries on the list, eight were from the South Pacific, with Nauru tipping the scales in first position with 94 per cent of its adult population overweight.

The US was ninth with 74 per cent overweight and Britain was 28th with almost 64 per cent of its population overweight.

Quote:


Its the youth of today who are the main fat ones.
Some Causes are tv, computer games, fast food, parents driving kids to and from school. etc.