Natural Selection vs. Obesity?

Question

If Natural Selection is true, then does that mean that obese people will eventually start to die?

I know this question seems a bit narrow-minded, but if you saw an obese rat, you wouldn't think that it could even last a few weeks out in the wilderness.

If you take away all the factors such as surgery, mobility, etc., will the world be rid of obesity once and for all?

Answer 1

Obese people tend to die after the breeding years so this would not work. I am obese and have had a child and my largeness is due in part to genetics, in part to having been pregnant, and in part to stress caused by being a parent. (eating doesn't hurt either) Even though I am large, I can still move and sit on the floor and get back up. I am amazingly flexible for my size. I don't think that natural selection would cause Obesity to disappear completely.

Answer 2

The answer to your question is no. The reason why natural selection will not eliminate obesity (unless we all die off), is that the cause of obesity is not a singular variable. It could be hypothesized that much of the obsesity in todays western cultures is due to lack of exercise and abundance of food supply. So even if all obese people died off now and continually for the next 100 years prior to reproduction, natural selection can not prevent another similar change in cultural habits that will promote obsesity.

It is plausible that after thousands of years our bodies will stop (or greatly reduce) generating fat storage facilities and our metabolisms will be reprogrammed to adjust for the current sedentary lifestyle and abundance of food, but that is a very large leap. This also would not necessarily prevent people from getting obese due to environmental factors (over eating for enjoyment, stress relief, boredom, etc...)

Answer 3

Well, there are old fat people, that have out lived skinny ones. being obese is different for everybody, some are sick all the time and others work and live with out any problems at all. The ones you have to worry about are the fat young kids who have heart attacks. i weighed 450 lbs at 26 and lost 300lbs in 12 months by having my stomach stapled, I almost died because I got so thin they had to undo the stapling and I'm 280 now my blood pressure is 120 over 68, and I'm never get sick so like i said it's different for everybody.

Answer 4

While some people have a greater genetic capacity towards obesity, it is usually environmental conditions (overeating, not execising) that cause it.

And while obese people can expect to die at an earlier age than thinner folk, it usually happens after their child-bearing years, so whatever genetic causes there are, those do not die out.

Answer 5

I think that it is obvious that with all of the health problems that the obese suffer, if left untreated, the obese would die out. Now, whether or not there were more obese individuals who followed may illuminate the age-old question as to the genetics of obesity (is it or isnt it?).
If no obese individuals turned up following the falling away of the fatties, then it was genetic. If they reappear, then its not genetic.

Answer 6

Evolution is the reason for obesity. So it is both genetic and environmental. During evolution marine animals like fish migrated to land . Before totally adapting to terrestrial life the terrestrial animals needed RESERVE source of energy. Adipose tissue or fat served that purpose. In fully grown and evolved human adipose or fatty tissue is a vestigial tissue . Vestiges like appendix,hair and fat in fully evolved humans troubleshoot.
Obesity is preventable and curable

Answer 7

Natural Selection is not true, because you can see mices, rats, ants, and even human , because we are not as strong as elephant or tiger, or anakonda

Answer 8

Natural Selection isn't true of people anymore. Have you seen the kind of people who frequent walmart? It's like deliverance/creepshow.