Monday, July 30, 2007
Obesity and disease
Are you a thin person who dislikes fat people, even when you have no "reason" (such as their interdiction of the airspace over your coach seat on a trans-Atlantic flight)? Well, it may be that you cannot help yourself:
From the taunting of the chubby child in the playground to cruel jibes at fat people in work and social settings, few could doubt there is widespread prejudice against the overweight. However, according to research reported in Evolution and Human Behavior some people suffer abuse because being too fat is mistaken by the brain for a sign of disease.
Researchers say the immune system can be triggered into action at the sight of obesity because it doesn't like the look of what it sees, and associates it with infection.
Just as it orchestrates attacks on viruses and bacteria and triggers nausea at the hint of bad food, so it sends out signals of disgust in some people at the sight of an obese body that is designed to encourage avoidance and survival.
Obviously, I have to re-start the totally failed "lose weight with TigerLoad" campaign before I nauseate somebody against their will.
2 Comments:
By 
, at
Mon Jul 30, 10:42:00 PM:
The obese have just started to become a threat to the liberty of others.
This morning I heard of legislation being suggested to ban advertising food with cartoon characters. This of course is linked to childhood obesity.
By , at
Tue Jul 31, 12:58:00 AM:
Dont you get fed up with the food police of groups like CSPI and PCRM filing their stupid lawsuits or you tired of NEAL BEANARD and MICHEAL JACOBSON and their rediclous blabbering of silly mother hens like MARION NESTLE writting books like HOW TO EAT well then tell them all to TAKE AHIKE and get in contact with the CENTER OF CONSUMER FREEDOM
