Survival of the Fattest

Entering the terms obesity and epidemic into any search engine will get you thousands of pages devoted to the latest problem experts say faces our country. I qualify that by saying “experts say” because every self-appointed pseudo-science expert has an opinion on this epidemic and their predictions are usually dire.

Of these experts I have had occasion to discuss these issues with a good number believe somewhat in the Darwinian theory of evolution and his “survival of the fittest” mantra. In short Darwinian disciples believe that man has evolved over millions of years into the form we are currently by a process of natural selection. Natural selection is the idea that the strong survive and the weak die off.

If it is true that we are getting fatter in epidemic proportions and it is also true that there is a process of natural selection at work are the two connected? If what the experts say is true that obesity is on the rise which must mean that skinny is on the decline then obesity must be winning the game of natural selection. If this is true then every intervention promoted by the experts for weight loss and health must be reconsidered immediately lest they be found to act against nature even Darwin himself.

I recommend to these experts a cooling off period of 25 to 50 years and perhaps longer. Give your ideas of weight loss and improved health some time on the sidelines to see of what you are really doing is for or against the natural selection process. If evolution is true and the strong survive then eating less and exercising more may only be standing in the way of nature and do you want that on you resume?

If after the cooling off period all of the fat have died off then your job has been done for you by your god Charles Darwin. Imagine the utopian scene of scores of thin healthy people living life unencumbered by high BMI scores or pant sizes. Imagine all of the fast food industry out of business because there will be no fat people to eat there. Just think of how much time you will have to focus on really important issues without all those fat Twinkie eating people to pull you away from real science.

While I try to be encouraging by foreshadowing your utopia you must also be prepared for the opposite eventuality that all the skinny people die off. Who knows what the turns and paths this natural selection process may take and it may lead to a world full of fat people. A world where lettuce is banned, walking is frowned upon and Ronald McDonald is president. A world where anyone below a size 6 is taken to fat camp to learn how to be fat so as not to be ostracized and ridiculed as all of the other skinnies are.