The obesity problem could solve itself, the way things may be going, when nine billion people will all need food. We may well do research on how to encourage metabolisms that make the most of every bite of food eaten – rather than, as now, how it won’t be used at all.
In Korea in 1950 the word poojah meant both a fat man and a rich man – synonyms then. The poor were never healthier in Britain than during WW2 with rationing that ensured they had healthy foods – post-war came the obesity.
There are so many steps mentioned in this article about how obesity not primarily genetically determined could be prevented in the first place. There are many others, including –
Tackling eating as a response to feeling depressed – and why there is so much unnecessary depression.
Stopping babies from 3 months to one year old being fed potato chips.

ozideas makes a good point.

Over eating isn't always about hunger or the hunger response and maybe there are lots of other social (and economic) issues at play that should factor into the obesity debate.

Ozideas is correct about many things but there are a few that were missed or are wrong.

Firstly, there is never any unnecessary depression. Depression is caused by a trigger event or series of events that cause a cascade of neuro-chemical responses leading to depression, to say that it is unnecessary is to invalidate the cause, a cause that is strong enough to cause the depression in the first place.

Secondly, childhood obesity can be closely linked to another epidemic sweeping our school system, bullying. If a child is a little overweight they may become a target for bullying, either physical or emotional. Unlike what many people believe bullying has no beneficial aspects, it serves only to destroy self confidence and as even been linked to Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as descried in DSM IV. This bullying will likely cause the child to find something that will comfort them and one of the easiest ways is to eat. This intern causes them to become more overweight an therefore become more of a target for bullying.

Thirdly, the assertion of the article that fat people are fat simply because they eat to much is not accurate. It has been shown in serval studies on stress that individuals who have high stress levels are also more susceptible to over eating and putting on large amounts of weight. This is not that they are simply overeating but that this is directly caused by environmental factors. It has also been shown that our population has the highest levels of stress on record caused by work loads and work/home life balance.

These factors and many more contribute to our society being overweight and obese, observing that they eat too much out of a deliberate wanten lust for food is to miss the point. Obesity should not be looked at as social disease but as the most visible symptom of a social disease affecting our society.

If one treats obesity like an addiction, then one gets a much better idea.

Getting fat is simply caused by eating more than one needs which is why one does this in spite of public opinion.

A friend of mine has recently undergone gastric banding, which physically limits how much he can eat, he has gone from 190 kg to 100 kg in 6 months with no cravings, (as he feels full) and is still losing.

People were not built to live so long or so well.

If people's health is at stake the options might be quite drastic, such as surgery or death.

Arthur N,

Like many you distribute responsibility to others. Bullying and stress have been around for generations. As have people on low incomes and with low education. The current level of obesity has not been around for long. What's new is fast food, the remote control, and the car.

Losing weight is as easy as riding a bike.