Phil:

I would bet that being Singularity-aware is a part of your power to do this.

You understand that the world will change completely and abruptly this century. You, of course, will be able to be as fit as you want to be after that event.

In preparation Singularity-aware people tend to adapt a certain... flexibility. Flexibility in how they see the world AND themselves. That flexibility can give your power to do things like remake your body even now.

Losing weight really is as simple as exercise more and consume fewer calories. It amazes me how many people don't want to accept that basic fact. That does not mean losing weight is easy though. I am 5'8" and know how to dunk a basketball. It is simple. I can't do it but it is very simple. You just jump high enough so that your hands are higher than the hoop and put the ball through. In younger days I could dunk on a good day but it is not really an option anymore. Yao Ming, on the other hand, can dunk pretty easily and will be able to do so for a long time.

But the fact remains, if anyone wants to lose weight they just have to consume fewer calories than they burn.

Thanks for the reply Phil.

As to Ross, I think you make my point. Some people really are metaphorically 5'8" trying to dunk a basketball. It is more complex and mysterious than many people allow for yet our culture over simplifies and casts negative aspersions on the overweight. When someone has trouble learning to read we give extra help. If someone has psychological problems we are moving to less stigma and more help available. When someone has a weight problem, well it is all their own fault and those lazy gluttons got what they deserved. This has, I think, lead to unfortunate outcomes like "Fat Acceptance" groups as a defensive reaction.

If you read the various science sites you will see research where they measured caloric burn of obese people walking. The amount of energy expended was lower than expected as, apparently, the people were walking in a more efficient manner than thin people. Then we see other research showing that genetics plays a part -- perhaps a significant part -- in determining weight from a variety of mechanisms.

Personally, I am living in China and eating mostly farm fresh vegetables but if I exercise less than about 30 minutes a day I gain weight. To lose weight I need to exercise more than an hour a day. When I was at my "ideal weight" I was exercising several hours a day.

When I was younger and more foolish I couldn't get it through my head that I had some areas that things were easier for me but things like maintaining a healthy weight were inherently very difficult. It wasn't helped by people assuming that I was eating more and exercising less than they and the problem was my self discipline.

I think we are beginning to have a better undestanding that it is much more complex and that many people just got a bad roll on the genetic dice and need to work harder than other people to get the same results. Now that I understand that, life is much easier. The practical outcome, for me, is to incorporate exercise into my lifestyle at the very base. For example I have a treadmill by the televsion so that I can relax mentally watching "Lost" or "Heroes" yet burn some more calories and boost my metabolism.

No one can/should compare themselves to others. If you want to achieve a goal you will see many people who can achieve it more easily than you and those people will usually have areas where their innate abilities are less than yours. You must learn to count your blessings and overcome your own obstacles. And when you see someone stuggling to learn math, socialize, maintain a healthy weight, etc etc etc it would be wise to assume a "There but for the grace of God go I" attitude and refrain from a judgemental attitude.

I have reached the point where I agree with Future Pundit's Randall Parker: more and more science shows the limits of free will and just how much of who and what we are is determined by our genes.

Gerald,
I think that we agree but we are discussing two different things.

My contention is that anyone can lose weight but it is a lot harder for some people than it is for others.

Your point, society should not look down upon those who are overweight because some people will always be overweight absent extreme calarie depravation.

Around the edges we probably disagree a little because I believe that being overweight is unhealthy and thus a little social stigma is a good thing for the fast majority of people who can manage their weight with a little effort.

Part of my own personal bias is driven by my wife's family. Her sisters are rather large and frequently make comments about how lucky my wife is to be so skinny. My wife exercises a lot and does not eat much. Her sisters eat a lot and avoid exercise.

I am pretty callow and I don't really care that they are fat. It does irritates me that they want to constantly whine about being fat.

I do conceed the fact that I was blessed with a fast metabolism and losing weight is fairly easy for me though.

Regards,

Ross --

Around the edges we probably disagree a little because I believe that being overweight is unhealthy and thus a little social stigma is a good thing for the fast majority of people who can manage their weight with a little effort.

Hmmm... How, precisely, is it that you know how easy or difficult it is for the majority of people? You can assume that it's a certain way for me, or your annoying sisters-in-law, or for "people in general," but that's just your assumption.

As for the positive benefits of a social stigma, color me unconvinced. The trouble with the social stigma is that it's entirely superficial and doesn't necessarily direct people towards healthier behaviors. It is just as likely to push them in the direction of fad diets and eating disorders -- which are much more unhealthy than being overweight. Our entire diet industry -- a vastly unhealthy enterprise -- emanates from that social stigma.