So recently, I have become addicted to the entire “Life Series” by David Attenborough (e.g. The Life of Birds, The Life of Mammals, The Living Planet, Planet Earth, etc.). While watching this whole series I’ve had many revelations about the nature of life on Earth (this is truly a transformational experience for those who take the long journey of watching the whole series). One such thought, however, struck me when considering mammals…
Human Evolution
It is generally believed that mammals use 80-90% of the food they eat in maintaining their body temperature. This is indeed a costly adaptation, but one which makes us (and birds) always ready to get our bodies moving when danger, or mates, or food comes around. However, I thought to myself, what effect must air conditioning have on mammals? Or, more importantly, could the greater prevalence of air conditioning in the South, be making Southerners especially fat?
Well, a little digging on the internet shows that I’m not the first first person to think of this. Researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham have considered the same possibility. They do not offer much in the way of evidence, beyond the suggestive comment that the South has seen both the highest rise in air-conditioned homes and also in obesity rates. But given how much of our energy is expended in maintaining our temperature, it seems likely that the temperateness of Southern homes and buildings must be playing some part in their not burning as much fat.
Interestingly, they also suggest another alternative factor which may be influencing Southerners’ obesity: the decrease in smoking rates (because people coming off of smoking often want to compensate for the loss of stimulation by eating food). With higher rates of smoking in the South, it wouldn’t be surprising if a greater number of people coming off of smoking would find comfort in food. This would probably still hold, even though rates of smoking have decreased less in the South than elsewhere; because of the much greater number of total smokers living in the South.
Sunday, 1. February 2009
I saw an argument similar to this one a few years ago, where the author attempted to relate the presence of air-conditioning to obesity. My main problem with that article was a complete omission of the fact that air conditioning has become more prevalent at the same time as obesity rates.
But, in general, the argument makes sense. If your body is trying to burn calories to cool itself off, the less it has to do that, it will effect your weight.
Imagine how thin the south would become without air conditioning? And we’d get rid of all those carpetbaggers.
Reply to lbowdish
Thursday, 5. February 2009
While it is the case that individuals often experience increased weight gain after quitting smoking, this weight gain is essentially time limited. The increase in weight gain has an inverse relationship with the time since quitting smoking. Also, the amount of weight gained since quitting smoking has a correlation of about .67 with how strongly the individual believes that smoking will cause weight gain. (it might be the case that is a more widely held belief in the south that smoking will cause weight gain.
I think there is a trail of breadcrumbs, as it were, indicting that southern lifestyle in general contributes to obesity in The South. I know i’m late in coming to this discussion, i’m sure people have mentioned the majority of the things that pop into my mind. I find that people even walk more slowly in The South, another post made mention of less Public transportation use, and as far as food goes, not only is it the kind of food we eat, but also the food culture. Food means “i love you.” Funerals, weddings, promotion, just moved to the neighborhood, not only is there cultural significance in preparing and presenting food, but also in eating it “I appreciate it/I love you too”….and where I come from, as a woman, if you don’t have at least one pie specialty, you are a man.
Also, it might be something in the water….or the livestock. Hormones-hormones-hormones. Dairy farms and steroidlicious beef, not only are these delicious and artificial growth hormone packed food products consumed by southerners, but are excreted by tens of thousands of livestock right ino our land and our water… getting the picture? The result is a beefy population, and yes, the cornfed boys of the SEC dominate, but without the 7 hour practices everyone else’s hormones just make them chunky.
Uhm…kinda disjointed, lacking in website links to my evidence…but yeah.
Reply to Vibh