Number of overweight women in developing countries is increasing
BMJ 2005; 330 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7492.620 (Published 17 March 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:620All rapid responses
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It is my hypothesis that the "secular trend," the increase in size and earlier puberty in children, is caused by an increase in the percentage of individuals of higher testosterone with time. This increase in percentage of individuals of higher testosterone also increases the levels of their characteristics within populations, some of which are negative consequences (increased morbidity and mortality). I suggest this phenomenon is driven by an increased percentage of women of higher testostrone with time. This increasingly exposes fetuses to increased levels of testosterone in utero which also increases consequent characteristics and morbidity and mortality. (Some say the trend is caused by increased calories; increased calories simply accelerate reproduction, not cause it.)
A case may be made that excessive testosterone increases obesity and this may account for the report by Roger Dobson. It is also known that sperm count is also declining worldwide. I mention this only because testosterone is being considered as a possible male contraceptive method. (Excessive testosterone reduces sperm count in studies.) Therefore, excessive testosterone may reduce sperm count as testosterone rises within a population. I suggest the same phenomenon that may be causing increased female obesity and decreased male sperm count may be the same: increasing testosterone within populations. This is simply identifiable, ongoing evolution. Evolution is based on increased reproduction. In this case, the increase in testosterone increases reproduction before the negative consequences of excessive testosterone manifest themselves. Evolution is generating more people before the negative consequences appear.
Competing interests: None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests
Viral obesity?
An interesting observation brought to us by Roger Dobson.
As obesity is not usually associated with a lifestyle involving poverty, malnutrition and 'overexercise' one might see in the developing world, and is usually associated in the developed world with over-indulgence and lack of exercise, the findings appear to conflict with those assumptions yet there seems to be an attempt to make those assumptions fit the new findings.
Assuming the original assumptions are correct, there must be other agents at work. One of those agents might be viruses which have recently been shown to play a probable part in some obesity.[1] Could these viruses be vaccine viruses - something the developing and developed world have in common (same vaccine sources) despite their great physical, environmental and lifestyle divides?
After all is not the USA both the heaviest vaccinated country, and the country suffering the most obesity?
Regards
John H.
Competing interests: None declared
1 http://accessexcellence.org/WN/SUA09/obesity497.html
Competing interests: No competing interests