Why has man suddenly started becoming obese? Prior to the past 3 decades, obesity was unlikely to have taken up so much air time on television , nor was it likely to have resulted in production of movies featuring obesity as the main theme! But something went wrong or started to go wrong along the way, resulting in doubling and tripling of obesity rates in the past 30 years. The epidemic was not limited to countries, but seems to have spread across continents. No ages seem to be spared, with even children and adolescents succumbing to the onslaught of the disease- if it were to be called a disease. And if you decided to call it a disease, it certainly does seem infectious. And if it is infectious, does it have a causative organism that satisfies the Koch's postulates? In this highly populated world, it is no surprise that someone somewhere has finally blamed it on the usual suspects- the viruses. MRSA, MSSA, MRCP, HIV, HbsAg, and now the AD-36. To the common man, finally there is an answer to his problems. To the orthodox modern-medicine community there is a challenge to disprove the theory, and a duty to laugh at it. And why should it be laughed at? Because obesity is not a disease and just a bad habit? Because viruses always make you malnourished and never over-nourished? (excuse the term). Because we already have enough other reasons to blame obesity on? Because immunity has nothing to do with fat accumulation? Or perhaps there are enough answers already inside the human body itself that can explain the production of the disease without invoking extraneous factors....
Why does an animal feel like it wants to eat? (hunger) Why does it suddenly decide to eat? (meal initiation) Why does it continue to eat voraciously first and slow down later? Why does it feel that it has had enough to eat? (satiety) Why does it decide to stop eating? (meal termination). Why is the lion a carnivore? and the antelope a herbivore? Why don't the hyenas hunt like the lions to get their food? Why do rodents eat at night? Why do cats suddenly start eating grass?
Why does the man who won the lottery feel less starved? Why does the prisoner on death-row not have a hearty meal? Why do people eat more at parties? Why does the patient with chest infection lose appetite? Why does the patient with cholecystitis feel nauseous with fatty food? Why do children hate vegetables? What makes women like chocolates? Why are food cravings different in pregnancy? Why do men hate cooking? (oops..) Why does man get fatter with age? Why are everyone in some families fat? Why do smokers eat less? Why do babies start to suckle? Why don't fat people become celebrities? (sorry, got carried away there!) Why doesn't man feel the urge to do exercise when fat increases? Why don't we shiver away our excess calories? Why do we say no to less salty food? Why do we order dessert after a hearty meal? Why do you eat fat (Atkins) and still lose fat? Why is an aperitif an aperitif?
One day, we will find out the answers.....one day too late.
Why does an animal feel like it wants to eat? (hunger) Why does it suddenly decide to eat? (meal initiation) Why does it continue to eat voraciously first and slow down later? Why does it feel that it has had enough to eat? (satiety) Why does it decide to stop eating? (meal termination). Why is the lion a carnivore? and the antelope a herbivore? Why don't the hyenas hunt like the lions to get their food? Why do rodents eat at night? Why do cats suddenly start eating grass?
Why does the man who won the lottery feel less starved? Why does the prisoner on death-row not have a hearty meal? Why do people eat more at parties? Why does the patient with chest infection lose appetite? Why does the patient with cholecystitis feel nauseous with fatty food? Why do children hate vegetables? What makes women like chocolates? Why are food cravings different in pregnancy? Why do men hate cooking? (oops..) Why does man get fatter with age? Why are everyone in some families fat? Why do smokers eat less? Why do babies start to suckle? Why don't fat people become celebrities? (sorry, got carried away there!) Why doesn't man feel the urge to do exercise when fat increases? Why don't we shiver away our excess calories? Why do we say no to less salty food? Why do we order dessert after a hearty meal? Why do you eat fat (Atkins) and still lose fat? Why is an aperitif an aperitif?
One day, we will find out the answers.....one day too late.