MasterOfTheObvious comments on Akrasia and Shangri-La - Less Wrong

38 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 10 April 2009 08:53PM

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Comment author: MasterOfTheObvious 30 December 2015 05:57:08PM 0 points [-]

The fact that metabolic privilege is conveyed via epigenetic vs genetic inheritance does not actually undermine the argument that privilege exists. No one is arguing that the effects of white male privilege come from the genetic components of being a white male. The discussion of where this metabolic privilege comes from is very useful, but let's not confuse it with a discussion of whether or not it exists.

It is hard to debate the fact that certain people seem to have little difficulty maintaining a weight that is socially acceptable and others have a much harder time. I personally have a great deal of difficulty putting on weight and I am occasionally subjected to "skinny shaming" by my colleges at work. I take this in stride, knowing that I have the easier side of that coin. But is does seem to me that most individuals have a certain weight that they trend toward when they are not paying attention to what they eat. For a lucky few, that weight is in a socially acceptable range. Most are not so fortunate.