Chapter 13. The Challenges of Obesity and Weight Control

Obesity is associated with various physical health risks, as well as with heightened risk of depression and with youth bullying.

The ability to store fat was adaptive for our ancestors, as it helped them survive times of famine. Clarence and the rest of us have retained this tendency—in our modern world with much less famine—and as a result may store too much fat. Clarence’s body weight is also influenced by his genes and by his body weight set point (also called settling point).

In addition to biological factors, weight is also influenced by sleep loss, by friends’ weights, by calorie intake, and by activity level.