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Why Are We Fat? Let's Blame Cars

Obese in America
articles/2013/04/03/why-are-we-fat-let-s-blame-cars/why-are-we-fat-let-s-blame-cars-image_pc1ccs

Here's a new way to think about obesity: Maybe it's an evolutionary strategy to enhance the fitness of human beings in the competition with their deadliest predator, the automobile.

Victims with an above-normal body mass index were found to have less severe injuries than their counterparts. “It is not implausible that a greater proportion of torso and extremity fat may protect against injury,” the report said.

Dr. Frangos noted that generally, overweight and obese patients fared worse once admitted to a hospital, but that perhaps “that extra layer offers some protection at the time of the injury.”

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