The Cause of Obesity - Part 3
January 29 2012

This is the last post on this topic (Part 1 & Part 2). Lot of people made comments and there were a lot of discussions on a few different blogs and forums. I had a posted in a couple of other forums too. I knew very well that I will get a lot of criticisms, but I am sure these articles will will make a lot of people think twice before they make comments about obesity and obese people.

This a very important topic and I admire all those passionate commenters who took the time to express their concerns and opinions.  In this article, I will be replying to some of the commonly asked questions about the articles

1. This is just a matter of how you view it. Environment is required for obesity. Look at the concentration camps and tell me how many people are obese, Anoop?

This is one question that was raised lot. This is almost a knee-jerk response from people. It is true that environment...

The Cause of Obesity - Part 2
January 14 2012

In the first part, I come to the conclusion that obesity is largely dictated by your genes. I wrote about how your bodyweight is biologically regulated to be stay within a range, say 10-15 lbs. As I expected, and as you can read from the comments, many didn't agree.

There were a lot of comments, but the most sensible counter argument is how can there be an obesity epidemic if it is largely genes? Hence it is rather clear that obesity is largely due to our environment. And this is the argument almost all studies make to counter the biological basis of obesity. Here I am going to drill down further into the data and show exactly what these numbers mean and why is it is largely your genes.

How is obesity defined?
BMI: Obesity is defined by an index known as Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a crude measure of body fat based on just your height and weight. As shown in the picture, If you are between 25 &...

The Cause of Obesity
December 23 2011

Are obese people fat because they are lazy or because of their life style or their genes?

Now there is more and more evidence to suggest that obesity has a powerful genetic component and the cause of obesity is largely genetic.  Apparently, there is a powerful unconscious biological system that is constantly trying to keep your body weight within a certain range, say with 10-15 lbs.



What is the evidence that obesity is largely genetic?
Animal Studies: Animals which are tube fed, voluntarily eat less. When the tube is taken off, they voluntarily eat more and get back to the previous body weight. Animals that are restricted food, lose weight. But they quickly get back to their previous weight when food is re-introduced. Why?

It appears as if the animals were looking in the mirror and badly wanted to get back to their previous weight.

Adoption Studies: Obesity is said...

Nick Newell is an undefeated mixed martial artist who upped his record to 6-0 with a submission victory last Friday.  Footage of his most recent fight can be seen below.

This entry isn’t just about an up and coming MMA fighter however.  Nick Newell is everything but ordinary.  Born with congenital amputation of his left arm, Nick has been fighting since day one.  He’s never let his disability hold him back as he continues to defy the odds.

In his own words,

I’m not just going to be a good fighter for someone with one hand. I’m not shooting for mediocrity or to prove that people with handicaps can do things because that’s already been proven. I compete to (be) one of the best in the world.

I’m sure there were plenty of people who thought Nick was crazy to pursue the mixed martial arts.  Fortunately, Nick lives his own life and makes his own decisions. ...

George Hood isn’t the typical 54 year old man.  He is everything but ordinary.  He once jumped rope for over 13 hours (setting a world record).  Another time he rode a stationary bike for over 222 hours.  At the time, that too was a world record and his efforts raised over $25,000 for a memorial fund for an American soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.

Most recently, George Hood shattered yet another Guinness World Record.  This time he held the abdominal plank position for 1 hour, 20 minutes and 5.01 seconds.

The video below highlights his extraordinary accomplishment.

A...