OBESITY REVISITED

Thus, remember, if your BMI is above 30, visit your doctor, find out if you have a metabolic problem, ask him about support groups that will help you with a diet, with exercise and probably with your self-esteem.,Two years ago I wrote three articles about obesity. In them I described the basic biochemistry facts of fat use and storage. It was a very simplified view, since I described the functions of only three hormones (insulin, adrenaline and glucagon) involved in energy metabolism. There are a few more whose functions are known and undoubtedly others that remain unknown, but for my purposes those three were and still are enough for you to understand the problem.

Since that time, scientists have produced tons of new information but our understanding of the problem has not increased at the same pace and the number of obese people continues to grow. In my opinion, the main problem is not being addressed at and they are using the enormous firepower of Molecular Biology to try to discover a reason that might account for only a small percentage of obese people.

As I pointed out before, it is known that a normal man has enough fat reserves so as to be able to live a month without eating. At this point in time nobody knows why this is so, but the late Dr. J. V. Neel proposed a very attractive and convincing hypothesis in 1962. According to this hypothesis, natural selection pressured our ancestors to preserve those genes which Neel called "thrifty genes." Those genes allowed them to better adapt and reproduce in an environment in which they had to constantly look for their meals, since there where no plantations or farms. Among those genes were those that let them have fat reserves to go several days without eating. According to Neel, those genes are a liability for today's sedentary, carbohydrate-fat-eating man.

Primitive man did not have the time needed to accumulate excess weight. In the long walks and runs that he had to take to find his food he burned calories. Besides, being a hunter, primitive man was also a prey. He frequently had to run for his life, which promoted the releasing of epinephrine into his blood, which in turn promoted the use of his fat reserves.

But, nowadays, it is a completely different

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