Since When Was Eating a Sin?

A while ago, I posted some thoughts on how all of these popular diets — paleo, vegan, carnivore, plant-based, IF, low-carb, and so on — have a way of becoming belief systems.  People read about it, buy in, join a Facebook group, and soon their new way of eating becomes a complete way of life.  “I eat paleo” becomes “I am paleo.” It’s an identity, a tribe, a religion.

But this is not the first time diet and religion have crossed paths in American popular culture.  Gary Taubes, in his incredible book Why We Get Fat, And What to Do About It posits that much of our belief about weight gain today comes from religion, not science.  We see obesity as the “wages” for the dual sins of gluttony and sloth.  All it takes to lose weight, we are told, is to eat less and move more.  If you’re heavy, then it means you’ve failed this simple task, given in to your base, heathen urges.  That spare tire of yours? It’s the scarlet letter that you deserve for being unable to control yourself (and thus, fat-shaming is completely justified).  

The surprising thing is that it wasn’t always this way.  In the book, Taubes dives deep into the history of weight loss and unearths some remarkable stories, including this one:

In the first part of the 20^th Century, Germany was the epicenter of scientific research — so much so that American college students majoring in science were often required to learn the German language, so that they could keep up with the latest research.  At that time, there was general agreement among scientists that obesity was a disease of hormone dysregulation, and lots of research was happening in Germany around discovering exactly which hormones were out of whack in the overweight person.  

So when did all that change?  Well, some really, really bad stuff  happened in Germany, and after World War II, all that German research was lost or ignored.  At around the same time, and for about the same reasons, researchers became more interested in the problem of starvation than that of obesity.  In the aftermath of the war, there were lots of people around the world who either had starved or were still starving, and the calorie was a useful way of thinking about food’s ability to provide energy and sustenance.  

The problem is, we never matured beyond that simple notion of “calories in, calories out.”  That idea is not false, Taubes says, it’s just simplistic.  Imagine that you’re in a crowded airport, asking, “Why is this airport so crowded?” and the only answer you get is, “Because there’s more people coming in than going out.”  You’d say, “OK, but why are none of the planes leaving?” Maybe there’s bad weather.  Maybe the workers are striking.  Maybe a tribe of renegade sheep refuse to leave the runway.  It’s the answer to this second question, not the first, that holds the key to getting the airport cleared out.  

The "second question" for Taubes is, "Why do we eat more calories than we burn?"  The body has all kinds of intricate processes that tightly regulate blood flow, body temperature, oxygen uptake, and everything else that we need to live.  So why would such a "smart" organism become so "dumb" when it comes to fueling itself? 

Lots of research points once again to hormones as the answer.  Insulin, leptin, ghrelin and others control our hunger and our energy levels, along with how many calories we store versus how many we burn. The science is still ongoing, and the jury is still out on the exact causes and solutions.  But Taubes is sure of this: the answer lies in the field of biology, not religion.  So maybe, for now at least, we can at least let ol’ Hester Prynne off the hook for carrying a few extra pounds.

Note: The ramblings published on this blog are the opinions of the author alone and shared for entertainment purposes only.  The author is an English major with no medical or scientific background; thus, his words should never be taken as medical advice.  Consult with your doctor or medical professional before undertaking any diet or exercise program.