On food supply and obesity, missing the point is easy

On food supply and obesity, missing the point is easy

Play all audios:

Loading...

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe Sometimes, we all miss the point. Inductive reasoning enables satisfying calls for broad sweeping action that fit with our preconceptions. Knowing the point, on the other hand, constrains us to the topic at hand. What is the point? For a scientific journal, the point should be about the scientific method applied within the field of study. Karl Popper and others would argue the point of science is to falsify claims. Thus, the scientific method only offers proof that an idea is wrong, but cannot prove another untested idea is correct. Research discussed in this issue of the _International Journal of Obesity_ (_IJO_) has shown that accurate self-assessment of overweight status does not predict better obesity outcomes.1 Rather, those with ignorance of their overweight status did better. Although this does not answer whether information about weight status causes obesity, it still falsifies the claim that body weight misperception is a widespread obesity risk factor. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $259.00 per year only $21.58 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Robinson E, Hunger JM, Daly M . Perceived weight status and risk of weight gain across life in US and UK adults. _Int J Obes_ 2015; 39: 1721–1726. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Robinson E, Hayes A, Sutin AR, Daly M . Telling people they are overweight: helpful, harmful or beside the point? _Int J Obesity_ (in press). * Swinburn B . Commentary: physical activity as a minor player in the obesity epidemic: what are the deep implications? _Int J Epidemiol_ 2013; 42: 1838–1840. Article  Google Scholar  * Ross SE, Flynn JI, Pate RR . What is really causing the obesity epidemic? A review of reviews in children and adults. _J Sports Sci_ 2016; 34: 1148–1153. Article  Google Scholar  * Keith SW, Redden DT, Katzmarzyk PT, Boggiano MM, Hanlon EC, Benca RM _et al_. Putative contributors to the secular increase in obesity: exploring the roads less traveled. _Int J Obes_ 2006; 30: 1585–1594. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Budnik A, Henneberg M . Worldwide increase of obesity is related to the reduced opportunity for natural selection. _PLoS One_ 2017; 12: e0170098. Article  Google Scholar  * Cobb LK, Appel LJ, Franco M, Jones‐Smith JC, Nur A, Anderson CA . The relationship of the local food environment with obesity: a systematic review of methods, study quality, and results. _Obesity_ 2015; 23: 1331–1344. Article  Google Scholar  * Voss JD, Ruiz SA, Clark LL . _Perspective: Some Causal and Priority Language about Food Energy Supply as the Sufficient Cause of the Obesity Pandemic is Premature or Incorrect_. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine: Wright-Patterson AFB, USA, 2016. Report No. AFRL-SA-WP-SR-2016-0015. Available at: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD1023769. Google Scholar  * O'Brien PE, MacDonald L, Anderson M, Brennan L, Brown WA . Long-term outcomes after bariatric surgery: fifteen-year follow-up of adjustable gastric banding and a systematic review of the bariatric surgical literature. _Ann Surg_ 2013; 257: 87–94. Article  Google Scholar  * Kritchevsky SB, Beavers KM, Miller ME, Shea MK, Houston DK, Kitzman DW _et al_. Intentional weight loss and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. _PLoS One_ 2015; 10: e0121993. Article  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The views expressed in this article are ours and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, the US Government, or any other institution. Cleared, 88PA, Case # 2017–1173, 21 Mar 2017. AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * Twitter:@JamesonVoss AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Epidemiology Consult Service Division, United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA J D Voss Authors * J D Voss View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to J D Voss. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The author declare no conflict of interest. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Voss, J. On food supply and obesity, missing the point is easy. _Int J Obes_ 41, 1169–1170 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.101 Download citation * Published: 26 April 2017 * Issue Date: August 2017 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.101 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe Sometimes, we all miss the point. Inductive reasoning enables satisfying calls for broad sweeping action that fit with our preconceptions.


Knowing the point, on the other hand, constrains us to the topic at hand. What is the point? For a scientific journal, the point should be about the scientific method applied within the


field of study. Karl Popper and others would argue the point of science is to falsify claims. Thus, the scientific method only offers proof that an idea is wrong, but cannot prove another


untested idea is correct. Research discussed in this issue of the _International Journal of Obesity_ (_IJO_) has shown that accurate self-assessment of overweight status does not predict


better obesity outcomes.1 Rather, those with ignorance of their overweight status did better. Although this does not answer whether information about weight status causes obesity, it still


falsifies the claim that body weight misperception is a widespread obesity risk factor. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through


your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $259.00 per year only $21.58 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant


access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions *


Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Robinson E, Hunger JM, Daly M . Perceived weight status and risk of weight gain across life in US and UK adults. _Int J Obes_ 2015; 39:


1721–1726. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Robinson E, Hayes A, Sutin AR, Daly M . Telling people they are overweight: helpful, harmful or beside the point? _Int J Obesity_ (in press). *


Swinburn B . Commentary: physical activity as a minor player in the obesity epidemic: what are the deep implications? _Int J Epidemiol_ 2013; 42: 1838–1840. Article  Google Scholar  * Ross


SE, Flynn JI, Pate RR . What is really causing the obesity epidemic? A review of reviews in children and adults. _J Sports Sci_ 2016; 34: 1148–1153. Article  Google Scholar  * Keith SW,


Redden DT, Katzmarzyk PT, Boggiano MM, Hanlon EC, Benca RM _et al_. Putative contributors to the secular increase in obesity: exploring the roads less traveled. _Int J Obes_ 2006; 30:


1585–1594. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Budnik A, Henneberg M . Worldwide increase of obesity is related to the reduced opportunity for natural selection. _PLoS One_ 2017; 12: e0170098.


Article  Google Scholar  * Cobb LK, Appel LJ, Franco M, Jones‐Smith JC, Nur A, Anderson CA . The relationship of the local food environment with obesity: a systematic review of methods,


study quality, and results. _Obesity_ 2015; 23: 1331–1344. Article  Google Scholar  * Voss JD, Ruiz SA, Clark LL . _Perspective: Some Causal and Priority Language about Food Energy Supply as


the Sufficient Cause of the Obesity Pandemic is Premature or Incorrect_. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine: Wright-Patterson AFB, USA, 2016. Report No. AFRL-SA-WP-SR-2016-0015.


Available at: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD1023769. Google Scholar  * O'Brien PE, MacDonald L, Anderson M, Brennan L, Brown WA . Long-term outcomes after bariatric surgery:


fifteen-year follow-up of adjustable gastric banding and a systematic review of the bariatric surgical literature. _Ann Surg_ 2013; 257: 87–94. Article  Google Scholar  * Kritchevsky SB,


Beavers KM, Miller ME, Shea MK, Houston DK, Kitzman DW _et al_. Intentional weight loss and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. _PLoS One_ 2015; 10: e0121993.


Article  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The views expressed in this article are ours and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Air Force,


the Department of Defense, the US Government, or any other institution. Cleared, 88PA, Case # 2017–1173, 21 Mar 2017. AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * Twitter:@JamesonVoss AUTHORS AND


AFFILIATIONS * Epidemiology Consult Service Division, United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, USA J D Voss Authors * J D Voss View author publications


You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to J D Voss. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The author declare no conflict of


interest. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Voss, J. On food supply and obesity, missing the point is easy. _Int J Obes_ 41, 1169–1170


(2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.101 Download citation * Published: 26 April 2017 * Issue Date: August 2017 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.101 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you


share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the


Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative