There was a time when the Democratic Party staked its claim as the 'party of science' and used that self-appointed title as a cudgel with which they bashed those they deemed 'anti-science' over the head for the thoughtcrime of not blindly accepting their scientific proclamations.
Science is rarely, if ever, 'settled' because such a notion is antithetical to science. But there are some areas where the body of scientific knowledge has consistently pointed to specific outcomes in (legitimate) study after study.
One of those areas is diet and obesity.
It's a fact that carrying excessive weight is bad for your health. Those who are obese or morbidly obese are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, kidney disease, cancers, diabetes, and musculoskeletal issues. But because the Left is actually anti-science -- or more that they've morphed science into their form of secular religion -- and in denial about reality, they came up with the 'body positivity' movement.
That movement tells people that it's okay to be morbidly obese, physically inactive, and to eat terrible diets because their obesity -- and the stigma surrounding it -- are products of bigotry and 'fat-shaming' and not hard biological realities. In other words, if we just say kind things to and about the obese, they'll magically avoid all the health issues that have plagued obese people since the dawn of time.
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The 'body positivity' movement is anti-science, anti-human, and one of the most destructive ideologies the Left has ever foisted on the public.
Which is why '60 Minutes' is glad to push such nonsense on its viewers.
This is a member of our USDA nutrition guidelines committee
— DoctorTro (@DoctorTro) April 3, 2025
She says diet doesn’t effect obesity and the number one cause is “genetics”
She also takes money from several pharmaceutical companies pic.twitter.com/XFZGHLpE4H
While genetics may play a role in some weight loss issues, it is not the primary driving factor behind obesity.
Instead, eating too much and moving too little are. Government officials should know this, but -- then again -- they knew obesity made those infected with COVID more likely to succumb to the illness, and they closed the gyms anyway.
But examples of losing weight via diet abound:
In 1965, Angus Barbieri weighed 456.36 pounds when he checked into the University Department of Medicine at the Royal Infirmary of Dundee. Barbieri was 27 years old and told staff he was looking to lose weight by fasting. Under close medical supervision, Barbieri used supplements and water to fast for over a year, and he lost 275.58 pounds. If the primary driver of obesity was genetics, this would not have been possible.
We also see it in the Israeli hostages released by Hamas, who were starved by the terrorists. They all lost weight.
As to exercise, studies also show something as simple as walking can improve health and shed pounds (per Grok):
[R]esearch indicates that brisk walking for about 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can lead to measurable weight loss over time, especially if it’s consistent. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry found that regular walking improved body composition in obese individuals, reducing fat mass. Another study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that walking at a moderate pace (around 3-4 mph) can burn roughly 200-300 calories per hour, depending on body weight and intensity.
For a government official to say obesity is genetic is to tell people that there's nothing you can do to lose weight. It's a hopeless endeavor. Give up.
It's not hopeless, however, because behaviors are the driving factor behind weight gain and weight loss. I know this because I've lived it.
My days consist of getting up, dressing in my gym clothes, and taking my youngest to school. After I drop him off, I go to the gym for about an hour. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are dedicated to hard weightlifting and body weight exercises. The other days are for cardio. On weekends I'll sometimes swim. But the point is: I go almost every day. Even if I don't feel like it. Sometimes I'm sore afterwards, but I work through it.
On top of that, everything I eat gets portioned out via measuring cups or spoons or my digital food scale, and everything gets counted in a calorie tracking app. My goal every day is to take in fewer calories than I burn. I also drink a lot of water.
I've dropped a significant amount of weight and several pant/dress sizes. I feel better. My joints don't hurt, my back doesn't hurt, and I sleep better at night. Even my mental health has improved. Other than the expense of new clothing (which is much cheaper than the stacks of medical bills I'd one day face), there has not been a downside to losing weight.
It's not always fun. There are days I'd love to pig out on a sundae or a pizza. But I don't. I save splurges for holidays and stick to my calorie count 98% of the time. There are days I'd love to sleep until noon and skip the gym. But I don't. I save those days for when I truly do not feel well.
I'm sure there are Leftists out there who would chastise me for taking care of my health because doing so requires discipline, self-control, and hard work. Those things are anathema to the Left, which places significant political currency in victimhood.
And '60 Minutes' is happy to help them perpetuate such dangerous, anti-science claptrap.
