What Causes Obesity? Evidence and Speculation

“This [obesity] is an important problem and we really still don’t know what causes it,” said John Speakman this morning to open a meeting of the Royal Society in London. Three days of presentations and discussion with some of the most brilliant scientists in the world lie ahead. It”s unfolding on YouTube and a dedicated site as we write this. This program is not to be missed – if you have any interest in working for real solutions to this problem. Because four decades of work on obesity have shown us one thing very clearly. Without knowing what causes obesity, our efforts to resolve or reduce the problem will be utterly futile.

From Genetics to Human Development

The scope of this program is impressive. Speakman, Thorkild Sørensen, Kevin Hall, and David Allison have organized these three days around three distinct themes: genetics & physiology, diet & exercise, and human development & environment. These themes guide an agenda for each of three days with ample time for discussion. The quality of the science is extraordinary.

But enough superlatives. This is streaming on YouTube and a dedicated website. We hope and suspect that the sessions will be available for review and reflection afterward. Even better, the Royal Society will publish the proceedings. Seriously, anyone who claims an interest in this subject should consume every minute of this exceptional program.

You can find the program for the meeting here – it’s a good read all by itself. The recorded sessions can be found here.

John Speakman Opens Conference on Obesity Causes, still image from Royal Society event stream

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October 17, 2022