Nature Wants Us To Be Fat: Unraveling the Mysteries of Evolution and Obesity

In a world obsessed with dieting, weight loss, and achieving the elusive "perfect" body, the idea that nature might actually want us to be fat may seem counterintuitive. However, upon closer examination, there is compelling evidence to suggest that our bodies have evolved to prioritize fat storage and that obesity itself is a natural response to certain environmental conditions.

To understand this perspective fully, we need to step back and examine the fundamental principles of evolution. For millions of years, our ancestors faced unpredictable food availability and frequent periods of scarcity. In these challenging conditions, the ability to efficiently store excess energy in the form of fat provided a clear survival advantage.

Our genetic makeup played a crucial role in this evolutionary adaptation. Genes associated with fat storage and metabolism became more prevalent in populations as those individuals who were better equipped to store energy survived and passed on their genetic traits. This natural selection process primed our bodies to prioritize fat accumulation as a way to survive during periods of food scarcity.

Nature Wants Us to Be Fat: The Surprising Science Behind Why We Gain Weight and How We Can Prevent--and Reverse--It

by Richard J. Johnson(Kindle Edition)

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3616 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	286 pages

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Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves living in an environment of abundance. Calorie-dense foods are readily available, and physical activity has significantly decreased compared to our ancestors. These conditions create a mismatch between our genetic predisposition to store fat and the lack of need for survival-based fat storage in the modern world.

However, despite the negative impact of obesity on our health, it is crucial to recognize that our bodies are still doing what they have been programmed to do over millions of years. Nature wants us to be fat because it still operates under the assumption that food scarcity is a constant threat. Even though we may have a surplus of food, our bodies have not caught up with this reality and continue to prioritize fat storage over other metabolic processes.

Understanding the evolutionary origins of obesity allows us to approach the problem from a different perspective. Instead of blaming ourselves for failing to adhere to an idealized body image, we can acknowledge that our bodies are simply responding to the genetic makeup and environmental cues that shaped our species over time.

This realization opens the door to a more compassionate and balanced approach to weight management. Rather than engaging in endless cycles of dieting and self-criticism, we can focus on nourishing our bodies, promoting overall well-being, and embracing body positivity.

It is important to remember that our bodies are incredibly complex, and the factors contributing to obesity extend beyond simple genetics. Socioeconomic factors, cultural influences, mental health, and access to healthcare all play a significant role in the obesity epidemic. By addressing these multifaceted issues, we can work towards creating a healthier society that supports individuals of all body types.

Nature indeed wants us to be fat, but it is essential to recognize that this perspective is rooted in millions of years of evolution, not in the contemporary context of Western aesthetics. By reframing our understanding of obesity through an evolutionary lens, we can move away from a blame-oriented approach and towards a more compassionate and inclusive mindset.

Nature Wants Us to Be Fat: The Surprising Science Behind Why We Gain Weight and How We Can Prevent--and Reverse--It

by Richard J. Johnson(Kindle Edition)

4.6 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3616 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	286 pages

FREE

“It is exceptionally well organized and presented, making it an ideal and highly recommended addition to personal, community, college, and university library Health/Medicine collections.” —Midwest Book Review
 
Nature puts a “survival switch” in our bodies to protect us from starvation. Stuck in the “on” position, it’s the hidden source of weight gain, heart disease, and many other common health struggles. But you can turn it off.

Dr. Richard Johnson has been on the cutting edge of research into the cause of obesity for more than a decade. His team’s discovery of the fructose-powered survival switch—a metabolic pathway that animals in nature turn on and off as needed, but that our modern diet has permanently fixed in the “on” position, where it becomes a fat switch—revolutionized the way we think about why we gain weight. 
 
In Nature Wants Us to Be Fat, he details the mounting evidence on how this switch is responsible both for excess fat storage and for many of the major diseases endemic to the Western world, including heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Dr. Johnson also reveals the surprising link between the survival switch and health conditions such as gout, kidney disease, liver disease, stroke—and even behavioral issues like addiction and ADHD. And, most important, he shares a science-based plan to help readers fight back against nature.
 
Guided by ongoing clinical research—plus fascinating observations from the animal kingdom, evolution, and history—Dr. Johnson takes you along on an eye-opening investigation into: 
 

  •  What you can do to turn off your survival switch
  •  What we have in common with hibernating bears, sperm whales, and the world’s fattest bird
  •  Why it’s fructose (not glucose) that drives insulin resistance and metabolic disease
  •  The foods we eat that trigger the body to make its own fructose
  •  The surprising role salt and dehydration play in fat accumulation
  •  The surprising link between the survival switch and health conditions such as gout and liver and kidney diseases, and even behavioral issues like addiction and ADHD
 
Dr. Johnson not only provides new recommendations for how we can prevent or treat obesity, but also how we can use this information to reduce our risk of developing disease. Nature wants us to be fat, and when we understand why, we gain the tools we need to lose weight and optimize our health.