# When did humans first get fat/obese and are we the only species capable of so doing ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2002, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690 "2002-09-26T06:30:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/21 "2002-09-26T16:28:45Z")
[Obese Wild Animals](http://www.open.ac.uk/OU/Academic/Biology/C_Pond/CPtxt.htm) > [@](#): > > Most naturally obese animals (other that migrators or hibernators) occur in extreme habitats such as deserts and the high arctic, including polar bears, reindeer and arctic foxes. The referenced abstract mentions obese wild animals in passing, but that begs the question: should a naturally obese animal be considered obese? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/22 "2002-09-26T16:30:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NotMrKnowItAll \* > \*\*[Obese Wild Animals](http://www.open.ac.uk/OU/Academic/Biology/C_Pond/CPtxt.htm) > > The referenced abstract mentions obese wild animals in passing, but that begs the question: should a naturally obese animal be considered obese? \*\* Obesity in humans is defined as having a body fat percentage above a certain threshold. If an animal’s body fat is above that percentage, then sure, it’s obese. But being obese isn’t bad for that animal. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/23 "2002-09-26T16:32:26Z")
RickJay beat me to it, darnit. That’s dangerously low. Does your doctor know? ---
**Author:** ![NotMrKnowItAll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6bbea6/32.png) [@NotMrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotMrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/24 "2002-09-26T16:35:01Z")
[Neat article on weight gain and loss](http://www.acsh.org/publications/priorities/0301/calorie.html), touches on predispositions to obesity. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/25 "2002-09-26T16:51:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > \*\*Okay, here a challenge. It’s the Internet; show me a fat mokey. In fact, show me a fat anything in it’s natural environment that isn’t human or storing fat up for the Winter ? \*\* [Fat monkey](http://home.earthlink.net/~macaques/fat_monkey_redo.JPG). Monkey he fat. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/26 "2002-09-26T16:58:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > \*\*That having been said, my dieting has shown me some interesting things. At 2000-2300 calories per day, I held constant at about 160. At my current diet of 600-800 calories per day, which I’ve been on for _three months_, I hold constant at 118-125 pounds. > > … > > I would estimate that some of my co-workers must consume 3000-3500 calories of crap in a day, and yet they hold constant at about 200 pounds. I simply do not understand - their metaboloic rates must be inhuman, because they are not, in general, exercising. \*\* Actually, you have been decreasing your metabolic rate in at least two ways. 1. When you eat that few calories, your body naturally goes into ‘starvation mode’ and decreases your basal metabolic rate. Some say this is not totally reversable, that if you do too much starvation your metabolism will always be low. 2. Without enough calories, and presumably without enough protein, you are catabolising (breaking down for both ‘building material’ and fuel) your muscles. Muscles burn a good deal of energy even at rest. Luckily losing mucle is easily reversable. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/27 "2002-09-26T17:11:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > I can vouch for there being fat animals – two of our cats weigh as much as bowling balls. \*\* Reminds me of our Siamese pointed ragdoll Shadow, who’s so fat I now like to refer to him as “Plumpster”. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/28 "2002-09-26T19:43:46Z")
The thing is, guys, I’ve been on this diet for about 3 months. I seem to have more energy than before I started dieting, and this has remained high for the entire time. My work is doing better because I have more energy, and I seem mainly to have lost a lot of fat. I went from a size 16 or so down to a 7 (almost a 6). Everyone told me that if I didn’t exercise I would be screwed - that my metabolic rate would drop, and that I would gain it all back. Yes, things did “plateau” for about 3 weeks or so, but after that, the weight all dropped off. I’m sure I’ve lost some muscle, but I’ve lost a lot more fat. And that’s what’s important. If you stop eating so much, you will lose weight. It is simple, and no excuses will change this. If you have fat stores available, and muscle, and your calorie intake is such that you need energy, which does your body draw from? There are some that would have you believe that, in fact, your body will somehow magically ignore all that fat, and just use the muscle. The fat is there for a reason - to supply energy. Why people think your body would exclude using the fat, when it’s right there, is beyond me. I’m sure your body uses some muscle. But what are you going to lose more of? Fat, or muscle? What’s the fat there for, anyhow? Energy. Anyhow - I think you always lose some muscle, if all things are equal, when you lose weight. At my peak, I weighed 176. Moving around 120 pounds of mass sure takes a lot less muscle than 176, and that has to be factored into the equation as well. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2002, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/29 "2002-09-26T19:55:05Z")
**Anthracite** : At bottom, it’s your body, and you decide what’s best for it. But be careful–people are notoriously bad about accurately perceiving what’s going on with their bodies, especially as it pertains to weight loss. You might want to consider checking your body fat levels on some kind of regular basis, just to make sure you really are primarily losing fat. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/30 "2002-09-27T09:54:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > url=http://home.earthlink.net/~macaques/fat\_monkey\_redo.JPG]Fat monkey. > > Monkey he fat. 😃 Well he’s certainly ‘big boned’ but is he/she in a natural environment ? Looks terribly comfortable in front of the close-quarters camera so I’d guess the photo’s been taken at a zoo or one of those Safari Parks. If I remember correctly from my David Attenborough period, in the wild they tend to scurry off to the tree tops at the first sign of humans, accompanied with lots of high-pitched girls-on-the-town shrieking…? Sorry \*\* jjimm\*\*, I’m not entirely convinced…anyone else got any chubby chimps …any porky Panthers…? ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/31 "2002-09-27T14:48:50Z")
\*\* London\_Calling \*\*, I am not an expert just a well read dilettante with some first hand experience on the matter. IMO, the single most overlooked aspect of eating healthy/dieting is maintaining stable blood sugar (levels of insulin/glycogen). When you eat highly glycemic foods, the rush of blood sugar causes your body to start producing insulin which converts that excess sugar to glycogen. Meanwhile, the insulin is also telling the body to stop burning fat. Also, if your liver is already filled up with glycogen (which it probably is if your eating highly glycemic food) then insulin will tell your body to start storing that excess blood sugar as fat. It get’s worse. Long after your blood sugar levels come down, the insulin remains and overkills. Now your blood sugar is low again and you get hungry all over again. Rinse and repeat. IMO, highly glycemic food is the killer. Processed foods, even healthy ones like orange juice, start this cycle because the glucose is made more readily available than our bodies were ever intended to accept. While your blendered concoction makes you feel fuller in the short run it will make you hungrier in the long run. What’s more, the reason you probably were hungry in the first place is that your prior meal was overly glycemic, eventually sending your body into a hunger panic. You may also not feel full enough from eating fruit because your not getting enough fat. I have a biochemist friend who read all the diet books and ended up recommending to me a book with an overwhelmingly embarrassing title, “The Five Day Miracle Diet.” I bought it on his rec and it’s really good despite the title. The upshot is, 1. Don’t eat cheap carbs (processed flour, sugar, juices) 2. Have a little carb, protein, and fat at every meal 3. Have a hard chew snack a couple times a day in between meals (Hard chews are, funny enough, hard to chew). This includes apples, carrots, celery, etc. The idea is that the tougher cell walls will time release the glucose into your system. I don’t follow any strict diet but I don’t drink juice or soda or any insulin spiking stuff. I feel so much better and never get those hunger shakes where I feel I want to kill someone if I don’t get food that second. Also, take some chromium picolinate - it helps regulate blood sugar. You’d be surprised at what the Glycemic Index will tell you about foods (do a google search). Surprisingly, one of the most glycemic foods are those puffed rice cakes that so many dieter’s use. Oh, and the Zone diet is supposed to work by maintaing steady blood sugar levels but it’s alot easier to use a little common sense. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/32 "2002-09-27T14:52:28Z")
Oh and one more thing. It takes about a week to get your body used to having a stable blood sugar level. (Hence the title of the book). So you will have some pangs - just eat something that is moderately glycemic. You can find the glycemic index of foods all over the internet. ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690/33 "2002-09-27T19:45:40Z")
Hmmm… In the wild, most animals have to work for their food, as well as dealing with harsher environments. (Predators, etc.) Perhaps another way of phrasing the question is: Are humans the only animal that will continue eating after they are full? That is, given a plethora of food, will humans be the only ones loosening their belts and asking for seconds on dessert? The only animal I’ve heard of, thus far, that **never** show signs of gluttony are spiders. However, my information is hardly encyclopedic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-first-get-fat-obese-and-are-we-the-only-species-capable-of-so-doing/129690.md?page=1)