wedrifid comments on Be Happier - Less Wrong

108 [deleted] 16 April 2012 01:51AM

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Comment author: wedrifid 15 April 2012 06:04:25PM 1 point [-]

The interesting question might be whether the usual way of signalling health (muscle bulk and low fat-- more bulk for men than women) is as closely connected to actual health (longevity, energy, enjoyment of life, disease resistance, fun, probably more....) as the culture assumes.

As far as I am aware the 'low fat' signal is a cultural idiosyncrasy. All else being equal it's a signal of somewhat less disease resistance.

Comment author: [deleted] 17 April 2012 10:25:45AM 1 point [-]

Why are people assuming that the relationship between fat and health must be monotonic?

Comment author: wedrifid 17 April 2012 12:11:32PM *  1 point [-]

Why are people assuming that the relationship between fat and health must be monotonic?

They aren't. That would be crazy.

Comment author: [deleted] 17 April 2012 03:16:19PM 2 points [-]

So, from the fact that underweight people are less healthy than neither-underweight-nor-overweight people it doesn't follow that overweight people are also healthier than neither-underweight-nor-overweight people, and hence that there's no good reason (other than signalling) for people to not want to be overweight, does it? (Or am I misunderstanding what the whole issue is about?)