# What should we do about obesity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 6, 2002, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-do-about-obesity/131067 "2002-10-06T14:35:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jeremytt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@Jeremytt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeremytt)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-do-about-obesity/131067/81 "2002-10-10T03:11:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ultrafilter \* > \*\*We seem to be using a term differently here. When I say diet, I mean “what you eat”. When you say diet, you seem to mean “an eating plan designed to bring about weight loss as rapidly as possible”. > > Right, which is why we need better education on diets and exercise regimes that do work. Ultrafilter, you are missing a colossal point. The fact is, _none_ of the diets and exercise regimens work. _None of them._ Haven’t you been reading the papers? It’s been reported umpteen times that 95% of dieters fail. 95%! How much time is it going to take for you to face up to this fact? It’s time that reality is faced, and idealism given up. If you’re one of the 5% who can keep weight off permanently, then kudos to you. You’re the envy of millions of people, if more than a trifle self-righteous. But for myself, I can attest that _every single time_ I’ve gone on an exercise regimen, yes, _every time,_ I’ve gained weight. Why? Use your common sense for a moment. Exercise breaks down muscle fibers, which, in order to rebuild the muscle, _increases the appetite_, causing weight gain! Has any of the other posters had this experience? I have an alternative theory, little known except in alternative therapy circles, as to why we are so much more overweight than our ancestors. Animal products obtained on a farm used to have heavy levels of a chemical called CCL, which fought fat; beef, pork, dairy, etc, all used to contain oodles of this chemical. But in the 70s and 80s, they began injecting animals with growth hormones to make them fatter for the market. These hormones destroy CCL so that modern animal products are bereft of the chemical. This probably doesn’t explain it all, but I believe it to be at least a factor in our collective weight gain over the last couple of decades. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-do-about-obesity/131067/82 "2002-10-10T03:31:08Z")
It is normal for people to gain a small amount of weight when they begin an exercise program, as you have experienced. This is a good thing. Muscle tissue requires more energy to maintain than fat, so as you gain muscle your caloric needs will be greater, and you will burn fat. At the extreme, people like bodybuilders may need to consume 3000 calories or more a day _just_ to maintain their weight, and may consume 5000+ calories when they are training. This is because they are carrying so much muscle. Obesity is the result of an imbalance between calories in and calories out. If anyone can point to a person who can consistently expend more energy than they consume, I would love to see it. I believe most people remain obese because they can’t or won’t put forward the time and effort not to be. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-do-about-obesity/131067/83 "2002-10-10T04:04:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeremytt \* > **Ultrafilter, you are missing a colossal point. The fact is, _none_ of the diets and exercise regimens work. _None of them._ Haven’t you been reading the papers? It’s been reported umpteen times that 95% of dieters fail. 95%! How much time is it going to take for you to face up to this fact?** First off, 95% of all diets are crap, designed for short-term results at the expense of the long-term. The diets fail because no one can stay on them. Secondly, even the good ones require some willpower, and for many people, that’s just too much. Life is complicated enough without having to worry that much about what you eat. So the fact that 95% of all dieters fail is not a reflection on the diets, but on the dieters themselves. > [@](#): > > **It’s time that reality is faced, and idealism given up. If you’re one of the 5% who can keep weight off permanently, then kudos to you. You’re the envy of millions of people. But for myself, I can attest that _every single time_ I’ve gone on an exercise regimen, yes, _every time,_ I’ve gained weight. Why? Use your common sense for a moment. Exercise breaks down muscle fibers, which, in order to rebuild the muscle, _increase the appetite_ causing weight gain! Has any of the other posters have this experience?** Whoa, whoa. You’re missing a big step in there. An increased appetite does not lead directly to weight gain. Eating more calories than you expend leads to weight gain. You can deal with an increased appetite by a) gritting your teeth and bearing it; b) eating calorie sparse foods (fruits and vegetables come to mind); or c) eating more of whatever you usually eat. Option a) alone is unrealistic in the long run, and option c) won’t help you. Option b) works great, especially if combined with option a). \*\* > [@](#): > > I have an alternative theory, little known except in alternative therapy circles, as to why we are so much more overweight than our ancestors. Animal products obtained on a farm used to have heavy levels of a chemical called CCL, which fought fat; beef, pork, dairy, etc, all used to contain oodles of this chemical. But in the 70s and 80s, they began injecting animals with growth hormones to make them fatter for the market. These hormones destroy CCL so that modern animal products are bereft of the chemical. I believe this to be at least a factor in our successive weight gain in the last couple of decades. \*\* Vegetarians would have a low CCL intake. Why aren’t they fat? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-do-about-obesity/131067/84 "2002-10-10T06:29:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeremytt \* > \*\* > > Ultrafilter, you are missing a colossal point. The fact is, _none_ of the diets and exercise regimens work. _None of them._ Haven’t you been reading the papers? It’s been reported umpteen times that 95% of dieters fail. 95%! How much time is it going to take for you to face up to this fact? > \*\* Why, that’s odd. I did the math, and I could swear that 95% \< 100%. So how does that statistic justify your claim? Also, you said that 95% of _dieters_ fail. How do we jump from that to an absolute conclusion about both _diets_ AND _exercise regimens_? Even if we grant that 95% = 100%, I still don’t think how we can jump from discussing all-too-human _dieters_ to drawing conclusions about both diets and exercise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-we-do-about-obesity/131067.md?page=4)