People often repeat stupid things they hear in pop culture that are obviously untrue. For example, when I tell someone I intend to lose weight by eating less I'm often confronted by someone who exclaims “You can't lose weight by not eating!”

Wrong! I've never met anyone that gained weight while fasting. It is a guarantee that you will lose weight if you fast. As a matter of fact, it's such a profoundly stupid statement that I assume they obviously don't really mean that someone that fasts will gain weight or maintain their present body weight. These people argue their point with such passion while refusing to deal with the basic laws of physics. It's like talking to the people who believe in water powered automobiles.

They are brainwashed.

I don't know how long Americans have labored under this ridiculous assumption, but since obesity and obesity related disease are at all time highs, I must assume this new found wisdom that we shouldn't stop eating when we get too fat is some part of the cause. I assume there are some social, economic, and other environmental influences. Epigenetic research has revealed that we are genetically influenced by our ancestors and this may account for some cause in widespread obesity. However, weight gain requires calorie intake.

What is true is that you can't lose weight by saying you plan to stop eating. You have to actually stop eating. Perhaps the purveyors of this new silly notion that eating fewer calories won't result in lowered body weight witnessed many people claiming they intended to eat less while they secretly continued to eat more than their thinner counterparts. There may be metabolic abnormalities that yield amazingly counterintuitive results where people can actually consume lower than normal calories while gaining weight. But, as a rule fat people overeat.

Posted in culture | health jasonn's blog