Desrtopa comments on Outside the Laboratory - Less Wrong

63 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 21 January 2007 03:46AM

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Comment author: Lumifer 16 December 2013 09:38:00PM *  0 points [-]

thinking on the fact that a huge percentage of American adults are overweight or obese, I would probably agree that "most food around" is super-stimulating.

Sigh. So you really think that the cause of obesity is that food is just too yummy, too attractive?

Before you answer, think about different countries, other than US. Japan, maybe? France?

Pizza tastes good enough to most people that it's difficult to resist the urge to over-eat. That's my answer.

Please use the Principle of Charity if you engage me. When I assert that "pizza tastes really good," you know what I mean.

Please try to avoid the typical mind fallacy. People around me don't seem to have the urge to overeat pizza. A lot of them just don't like it, others might eat a slice once in a while but no more. Nobody is obsessed with pizza and I doubt many will agree that "pizza tastes really good" -- they'll either say "it depends" or shrug and say that pizza is basic cheap food, to be grabbed on the run when hungry.

No one -- not a single person around me -- shows signs of having to exert significant will power to avoid stuffing her face with pizza.

Do you agree that there exist certain foods which taste really good; which a lot of people have a problem with, which in many ways are like an addiction?

Presumably there is a logical "AND" between you sentence parts. Depends on what do you mean by "taste really good" (see above about pizza) and by "a lot".

People generally overeat not because the food is too yummy. People generally overeat for hormonal and psychological reasons.

Comment author: Desrtopa 16 December 2013 09:47:00PM 2 points [-]

People generally overeat not because the food is too yummy. People generally overeat for hormonal and psychological reasons.

What is your hypothesis for why obesity rates have exploded to such an extent in the last several decades?

Comment author: Lumifer 16 December 2013 10:17:34PM 0 points [-]

What is your hypothesis for why obesity rates have exploded to such an extent in the last several decades?

Oh, dear. There are what, a few dozens of books on the topic, not to mention uncountable papers and articles?

I think it's complicated and not attributable to a single easy-to-isolate factor.

Comment author: [deleted] 17 December 2013 03:31:08PM *  3 points [-]

Well, here's an easy one that I've even got some empirical evidence for: refined sugars being added to common foods where you simply don't expect sugars to be.

I know that when I'm here in Israel, I have an easy time controlling my eating (to the point that skipping meals sometimes becomes my default), but when I'm in the States, I have a very hard time controlling my eating. I've noticed that when I even partially cut refined sugars from my diet, I get through the day with a much clearer mind, particularly in the realm of executive/self-disciplining functions. It's to the point that I'm noticeably more productive at work without refined sugar.

There are lots of differences in diet between Israel and the USA, but the single biggest background factor is that in Israel, sweets are sweets and not-sweets are not sweetened. Whereas in the US, everything but the very rawest raw ingredients (ie: including sliced bread) has some added refined sugars.

With a large background level of "derp drug" in your basic foodstuffs, it's probably quite easy to suffer blood-sugar problems, get cravings, and lose a degree of focus and self-control. It's certainly what I experience when I'm there.

Comment author: [deleted] 18 December 2013 11:11:52AM 0 points [-]

I've noticed that when I even partially cut refined sugars from my diet, I get through the day with a much clearer mind, particularly in the realm of executive/self-disciplining functions. It's to the point that I'm noticeably more productive at work without refined sugar.

ISTM that for me in the short run it's the other way round, but that's probably got to do with the fact that most of my sources of refined sugars are sources of caffeine and water as well.

Comment author: [deleted] 18 December 2013 12:55:43PM 2 points [-]

Try unsweetened black tea or coffee. Seriously: it works wonders.