The inevitable Thermodynamics

[minoanmiss]

Rant. Weight loss and discussion thereof. Also, cathartic violence. In every single discussion that ever touches in any way on health, nutrition, and/or weight, SOME ASSHOLE shows up to say "WEIGHT LOSS IS SIMPLE THERMODYNAMICS blablablablabla!"

I really want to find every single one of these people and shove a physics textbook sideways up their asses. Not even a biology textbook, because I'll need that to point out that one of the reasons that all but the very leanest and/or most starved humans have fat reserves is to make our thermodynamics more complex and thus more stable (the ability to survive several days of no food without significant loss is pretty useful in most contexts). Nor a psychology textbook since I'll want that to point out how this framing of weight loss as simple and easy is profoundly psychologically damaging to many people whose experiences differ and who have had this (false) factoid weaponised against us.

Besides, then I can bang both the biology and psychology textbooks onto said person's head.

Feh.

Comments

[lilysea]

I read recently that one of the major causes of weight gain is food INSECURITY - regularly going hungry causes weight gain, because it leads to people eating for calories, not nutrients.


Food insecurity is strongly correlated with obesity
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3334290/

[katyhh]

Wow, I never thought of it that way. That was me, totally.

[vass]

*growls* This.

Also, if fat loss were simple calories in calories out thermodynamics, then why are there hormonal conditions correlated with being fat? Surely if fat were nothing but excess energy to be burned off, then the only health conditions associated with it would be purely mechanical ones like knee pain (which is more complicated too, but that's another story.)

If being fat (not eating sugar, not exercising too little - I dispute that it's as simple as those things either, but we're talking about people who don't even cite those behaviours, they label a physical attribute as a behaviour) causes diabetes, then body fat is hormonally active, then weight loss is more complicated than CICO. Therefore if your fatshaming is based on weight loss being as simple as CICO then you do not get to use diabetes as your threat.

[princessofgeeks]

LOL.

There is so much ignorance about this topic out there. It's ridiculous.

Hang in there.

[kore]

I really want to find every single one of these people and shove a physics textbook sideways up their asses.

I'll hold your coat!

[ororo]

I will happily hold them down for you.

If it was as simple as calories in calories out, my weight (and sugar processing) would not have changed significantly over the years every time I changed medication.

When you are done, can we bonk the people who broadcast inspiration porn and those who virtue-signal every time they go to the gym?

[minoanmiss]

ABsolutely. growls

[amaebi]

And I'll put the wart curse on them.

They are now wart-cursed.

[sabotabby]

I mean every researcher not bribed by the diet industry knows this but what do they know compared to some asshole on the internet?

[corylea]

I had several years where I could stick a knife in my chest or I could stick a piece of chocolate in my mouth. My size is a victory of life over death!

(And yes, I was on anti-depressants AND getting therapy at the time. They didn't help.)

[thistlerose]

How nice for some people that weight loss is so very simple. Unfortunately, for the vast majority, that's not the case. There are so many factors besides calorie intake and exercise.

[lavendertook]

Oh, I so hear you. Haven't been for a general check up in almost 2 years due to the aggressive fatphobia of my pcp and her total ignorance of HAES and my needing to find a new one. Hopefully the new one I see in a couple of weeks will be better.

[amaebi]

I hold my thumbs for you.

[cellio]

I'll buy you extra copies of the bio and psych texts if I can watch you shove *all three* up their asses. Which will be more effective -- shoving in parallel or in series? We'll just have to try it both ways.

[minoanmiss]

It's a deal. :)

[vettecat]

If it's so simple then why aren't we all the same weight? Argh. Stupid people.