I think that there are dozens (if not hundreds) of factors that contribute to obesity. Calorie intake and activity level are the most obvious (probably the most important in most cases too), and generally the easiest to change.
The problem is that whenever you discuss any of the other factors, people see it as a ridiculous attempt to excuse obesity. I think mostly, because there's a tendency to want one answer not 296.
I think it's an interesting but inconclusinve (in itself) finding has no practical immediate application. Because there are so many factors to obesity, "fixing" one won't ever fix all (or maybe any) cases of obesity - but it does add to the bigger picture that I think ultimately will result in better treatments for obesity.
It's just that I think that if you look at obesity as a puzzle, I'm pretty sure that environmental pollutants are one of the smaller (perhaps microscopic) pieces.
I think there's nothing wrong with studying the very small pieces, but I doubt they're going to provide any "breakthrough" treatments in obesity.
On the whole, mildy interesting, and another reason to avoid pollutants when possible, though also not the most significant one (if the effects of pollution on humans is also a puzzle, the obesity piece is just as small to that puzzle). I would think, for example that asthma would be a larger concern with pollutants than obesity.
Last edited by kaplods; 02-25-2010 at 04:49 PM.
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