While attending a lecture given by Gary Taubes last November, I was hit smack in the head with an interesting point he brought up. Obese people aren’t that way because they overeat – they overeat because they are obese. Think about it. Do you really think a 300 lb man can successfully fuel his body on the same amount of food a 95 lb 12 year old can? Of course not! The bigger the person, the more fuel they will need to keep going.  My daughter can eat like a bird – and she weighs a whopping 60 lbs soaking wet. My husbands 210 lb frame on the other hand would be tired and miserable trying to exist on her meager meals – and he’s not overweight. Do you expect an 18 Wheeler to use the same amount of gas as a Ford Focus? No, you don’t.  Common sense tells us a large truck hauling a large load will require more fuel. Why do we believe it’s any different for us?

Below is a video where Gary’s explains his thinking on this beautifully:

Gary Taubes

Dr. Briffa recently posted something along this line on is blog, although he talks more about the fact that “calories in, calories out” are not always the problem. Sometimes, and probably more often than not, it’s hormones and genes that cause the issues. And while there are certainly gluttonous people out there, we should NEVER assume that anyone is overweight because they are lazy. That is not only a self-righteous and insensitive way of thinking – but it makes you look stupid. So save yourself the embarrassment ahead of time and never ass-u-me.  We are all people who are struggling to find what works, and many have to suffer before they find the answers.