2006-10-05 11:15:10 · 14 answers · asked by key 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
to my knowledge they do not. they have such a high metabolism that they burn up the energy they receive too fast. Also, they don't have the selection of foods that we do. It's what we eat that makes us obese not necessarily how much.
2006-10-05 11:27:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Insects, spiders and suchlike have hard, chitinous exoskeletons, so they generally don't grow much once they've reached adulthood (becoming obese would involve shedding the old skeleton and growing a new one - difficult to schedule for today's busy arthropod). However, many do have fat storage organs (called fat-bodies), especially larger and more 'advanced' species. Fat-bodies are groups of lipid-containing cells, but they also store smaller amounts of glycogen (which can be hydrolysed to give glucose - yummy!) and proteins. How else would they find so much energy to go around terrorizing people? Also, like many other animals, they tend to eat what they need, rather than stuffing themselves. So I'd say: no, insects do not suffer from obesity, though the spiders in my house are presumably on steroids, which is a totally different matter entirely.
2006-10-06 11:30:01 · answer #2 · answered by Ennk 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe it's time to start some fast food and restaurant chains for insects - McDungbeetles, Stingapore Sam, Spiders U Like, TGI Flydays, Wagamaggot, Bee-feater, Tickitas, Kentucky Fried Chrysalis, Beetle Chef, Gnatdo's, Pret a Midger, Planet Hollywoodlice, Bugway, Parasite Hut.
What a way to spend an evening! Perhaps I am in need of a life.
2006-10-05 19:11:11 · answer #3 · answered by ♫ Rum Rhythms ♫ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The can't because:
a) they stop eating after a certain amount of time beacuse thier hunger is driven by necessity and not want or desire.
b) Thier exoskeleton only gets bigger every so often, and until it does, they cannot get any bigger. It is only when they have just shed an old one, and thier new one is still soft that they grow bigger. And most insects do not grow after they gestate from pupae/larvae.
2006-10-05 18:21:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try an experiment. Eat nothing but flys for 3 weeks, if you lose weight then their must be some chemical in the fly that keeps spiders healthy, you should patent the chemical and become a millionaire.
Just remember me when your filthy rich.
2006-10-05 18:21:43 · answer #5 · answered by stewie2277 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course they do. Once yeah i was sitting at the bottom of my garden, it was a nice summers day. I looked onwards to the mud and there to my suprise was a big fat ant, bigger than id ever seen before (id say around 2.6 inches tall and 2.5 wide. I asked hay ant why are you so big and fat. He replyed because sumtimes i comforrt eat, because all the other ants call me names and push me around. I asked the poor, big, fat, ugly ant inside my house for sum nice chocolate cake. He soon ran inside and gobbled down the lot. Ever since we hav been best buddys and he's now bigger than ever.
2006-10-05 18:24:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Exoskeletons.
2006-10-05 19:02:18 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey Dr.Brain. Was that really true? I mean was that ant really that big? Cos if it was you could make a lot of money out of him. You see, all you've got to do is...aw you had me going there for a second!
2006-10-05 18:38:49 · answer #8 · answered by brainyandy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the terrifying spider that is in my bath and now wearing the yellow pages was most definitely obese amongst other things!
2006-10-05 18:18:36 · answer #9 · answered by oozie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
unlike all warm blooded animals, insects have no fat cells.. overloaded fat cells is the cause and characteristic of obesity..
2006-10-05 19:14:23 · answer #10 · answered by Marvin C 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋