Why Are Animals Getting Obese?

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The discussion highlights the alarming trend of obesity not only in humans but also in various animals, including pets and lab rats. Participants express concern that modern agriculture and dietary choices are contributing to this issue, as animals are being fed cheaper, less nutritious food. The conversation emphasizes the disconnect between our evolved biology and the abundance of easily accessible, high-calorie foods, making it difficult to resist unhealthy eating habits. There is speculation about the role of corn in animal diets and the potential influence of viruses on obesity trends. Overall, the discussion underscores the broader implications of dietary changes across species and the need for a deeper understanding of these patterns.
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Yeah our brains have outsmarted our bodies (AKA our agriculture outpaces our genetic evolution). It all comes down to the fact that it's damn hard to not eat a cookie (long-term positive results) instead of eating a cookie (short-term positive result)!
 
Yes but the point of the article is that everything is getting fat even those animals that should be immune from our influence. Thats the disturbing part.
 
Hmm true, but we still decide what to feed the animals in our keep. So this could be a result of cheaper, less filling food being fed to our animals for the sake of keeping costs down...
 
Yeah id love to see a break down on the lab rats for the last forty years and how their feed has been changed. Cant shake the nagging feeling that its all probably corn related. Just conincidnetal timeing i bet though. Virus is most probable.
 
If you give a mouse a cookie...
 

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