The author writes:
The prevalence of obesity in modern western societies is widely acknowledged as one of the great healthcare challenges of our time. Yet the problem of obesity and diet is less of a mystery now than it has ever been. As the World Health Organisation states: "The fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed on one hand, and calories expended on the other hand."With Gary Tabues and other proponents of low-carb diets in mind, I wrote this post on temperance, which is in need of some revision but this is my main point -- obesity is not just due to a greater adoption of a more sedentary lifestyle but also to the effects of a diet high in sugars and carbohydrates, which have an impact on the signalling of hunger. If a healthy body can be relied upon to tell us when we should eat and when we shouldn't and we have become sick because of a diet that is too high in sugars and carbs, how much moral responsibility can we have for not being temperate, if we are responding to what our body seems to be telling us? The mean of temperance is determined relative to us, but this does not necessitate that we always calculate how much is enough (e.g. counting calories). We should be surprised if the Author of Life did not include with the human body a mechanism for signalling satiety, or what our nutritional requirements are. (One does not see obese animals in the wild.) Through the virtue our appetite is made subordinate to reason, in that we choose not to eat more than we need to. The definition of virtue does not require that we that the judgment of the mean be arrived solely through intellectual means.
I think we shouldn't be so quick to judge those who have followed the FDA and other "experts" regarding dietary/nutrition guidelines (which just gives a more sanitized version of the SAD, standard American diet) and exercise but still can't lose fat. With that said, I think there is some room to criticize those who have no self-control at all when it comes to sugar, and cannot even bring themselves to cut out sugars and junk food from their diet.
Gary Taubes's new book can be previewed at Google Books.
Why We Get Fat: Adiposity 101 and the Alternative Hypothesis of Obesity
2 comments:
Greetings Papabear,
Thanks for your interest in my article!
I haven't read Taubes book, but I'm vaguely familiar with the low-carb concept; and from reading your earlier post on temperance, I think I see what you are getting at.
I definitely agree that it is impractical and ultimately counter-productive to have people merely calculate caloric intake and expenditure; especially when we remain silent about the dangers of a strong appetite or relishing the pleasure of eating.
The idea of dieting as "continue to enjoy your food, but in lesser quantities" is misguided. We should instead start with nourishment as the primary goal, and any enjoyment will then be appropriately tempered.
At the moment, I am aware of my *need* for food as a sense of tiredness, weakness, loss of energy etc. It is quite distinct from the *desire* for food, which seems to have more of a mental component.
I'm starting out with quite small amounts of food, knowing that even one mouthful is enough to give me a little energy. I'm also bearing in mind how long it will be before I have a chance to eat again. I'm also taking care not to go too long without some food.
My sensitivity to these different signals has increased quite quickly....though I'm sure there are still many variables and different reactions that will emerge in future.
Above all, I can recognise when it's really just desire driving me. If I sincerely ask myself why I want to eat at any given moment, the true motive becomes clear.
This is how I'm determining 'nourishment' at the moment, and sensitivity is key.
I'm off now to write a comment on your other blog!
Kind regards,
Zac
Thank you for dropping by and reading the posts! I'm a relative newcomer to low-carb diets, so I am trying to gauge the impact of the diet on appetite and hunger. Maybe I will have more to write or opinions to change after I've been following it for a while.
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