Is Obesity a Choice? - with Giles Yeo

If you eat more calories than you burn, you will put on weight, but what is it in our genetics that makes some people eat more than others?
Buy Giles' book "Gene Eating: The Story of Human Appetite" now - geni.us/jnNxw0p
It is clear that the cause of obesity is a result of eating more than you burn. It is physics. What is more complex to answer is why some people eat more than others? Differences in our genetic make-up mean some of us are slightly more hungry all the time and so eat more than others. Giles Yeo explores how, in contrast to the prevailing view, obesity is not a choice. People who are obese are not bad or lazy; rather, they are fighting their biology.
Watch the Q&A: • Q&A: Is Obesity a Choi...
Dr Giles Yeo is a geneticist with over 20 years’ experience dedicated to researching the genetics of obesity. He obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge and assisted the ground-breaking research that uncovered key pathways in how the brain controls food intake.
His current research focuses on understanding how these pathways differ from person to person, and the influence of genetics in our relationship with food and eating habits. He is based at MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, where he is Principal Research Associate, and is a fellow and graduate tutor at Wolfson College.
This talk and Q&A was filmed in the Ri on 1 November 2019.
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[@TheRoyalInstitution]

The brilliant Giles Yeo came to the Ri to give the 2019 JSB Haldane lecture on the role of genetics in obesity and we couldn't be more pleased to host both him and the Genetics Society.

[@sang3Eta]

Obesity is the result of the poor having to live on a diet of cheap carbs. It's not really a choice for many!

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

@@sang3Eta it’s very complex and a lot of nuances to it. Obesity for some is a choice, with help from genetics. To others it’s full on genetics. To others it’s actual health conditions. And to a large number extreme poverty. The rich have means to get better nutrition, nutritionists, and work less hours by passing responsibility onto other members of the work team.

[@sang3Eta]

@@ireneswackyjournals8810 Meat protien makes you feel full, carbs leave you feeling hungry, potatoes are cheap, meat is expensive. The economics of fast food creates unhealthy people.

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

@@sang3Eta the economics of not just fast food but literally grocery stores. What items are cheaper in the shelves. Imagine having to feed husband and two kids. I eat healthy yet that’s literally 200 a week in organic foods, and the better meats, for myself. Assuming I switch from organic to something conventiOnal okay that’s 30-35 bucks less. Maybe 150 if I could take it down even further. Imagine a family of four. Foos in the US is expensive. I watch videos of European bloggers eating. Fast food is cheaper and faster. A large number work 50-60 hours to make ends meet. And can’t afford gym or 5 am workouts. I know this because when I started to work I could not, I got into a six figure salary yeah but I remember earning peanuts. And I remember realizing women with kids were earning this as were men. Which means that households were getting 20-40k annually, with kids.

[@ireneswackyjournals8810]

@@sang3Eta oh and may I add in Miami Florida. Which means that property doesn’t go below 300k usually and apartments were always 1k and above for 1 bedroom

[@TheMightyOdin]

Having lost 200 pounds over the last 26 months I’m even more impressed with what I’ve done after watching this.

[@soonny002]

Sounds like you made a choice. A good one.

[@rosesarelike]

Congratulations. It's a big achievement!

[@rajx82]

Name checks out! Well done!

[@Mexicobeanpole]

You should be!!

[@anneflynn9614]

Awesome!

[@mattlm64]

People say that skinny people are only skinny because of will power, but I'm naturally skinny and have to use will power to put on and maintain weight. I have to force feed myself. It makes perfect sense to me that obese people have the opposite problem.

[@MoominPa]

Matthew Mitchell Thank you for saying that. Unfortunately most of us will take a credit for something that they have due to a pure luck.

[@rickysoulless6534]

@leahcim38 talk to any body builder on the planet, they are essentially pro eaters and would tell you how much of their life is forcing themselves to eat. People like me and probably the poster do have to put in losts of will power if we want to gain mass. I will stay at 135lbs w/o even thinking but working out and eating cause me to gain weight.

[@sjtaylor7950]

Yeah, likewise. I should be a lot bigger than I am. People just don't like (or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, lean way too much on) the comforting point-of-view that it's all down to nothing but choice.

[@mattlm64]

@anonymous one Sure, age does play a factor. I'm still in my 20s.

[@DANGJOS]

Agreed, same here.

[@kristynicole6201]

I think theres also something to be said regarding the fact that many food corporations especially in the USA literally do food research trying to get an addictive type responss from consumers.

[@KinGzeDK]

My labrador when she was around 6 months old: Woke up and got her breakfast. Home alone, finds 1 kg of food we got from breeder - ate it all. Getting her dinner in the evening. Starts puking because of too much food. Still begs for more food when we were having a late snack. True labrador!

[@deefee701]

Labradors are known for this but most dogs have an inbuilt on-switch to eat everything they can, just in case they cant find food quickly. In modern society we give them too much food because we don't know this and think they're always hungry.

[@yl1487]

@@deefee701 If I'm not mistaken, there have been speculations, possibly supported (I would remain unable to provide any citations though), that amongst canines the Labrador retriever breed has disruptions to genetics controlling leptin signaling ... have you come across something like this before?

[@lorettacaputo6997]

This hour of watching this lecture is additional proof of how amazing the lessons of biology can be.

[@CalloohCalley]

I love the way he communcates. If a physicist looks at obesity they might say "calories in = calories out". True. But I'm a biochemist, so I tend to see metabolism as hopelessly complicated, and the factors involved in fat gain/loss are multitude. So, it's good to hear geneticists speaking about eating habits from the view of heredity and genetic variation. Thank you Mr. Yeo.

[@nomadman5288]

It's not "hopelessly complicated." Genetics can't pull 1000 extra calories from the air and make you gain 2lbs a week for that you're not eating. If people don't eat, they starve, regardless of their heredity or genetic cariation. Likewise, if they eat twice the calories they burn, they gain weight quickly. "Calories in and calories" out might be over simplified, but generally speaking, it's practical and consistent with little variation.

[@babooshka7601]

@@nomadman5288 Stress has an immediate effect on your digestion. If you experience stress within 2 hours of eating, your body adds 104 calories to your meal. That could lead to 5 kg weight gain a year without eating more than usual.

[@drooooop]

⁠@@babooshka7601That sounds like complete BS, and also not how thermodynamics. Funny how it’s always exactly 104 calories, apparently 😂

[@hyu358]

Why do so many people find it disturbing to say that we are not equal in this fight against obesity? We are all different, it's easy to reduce everything to simple willpower, others have to be much more rigorous than others to keep their weight down

[@anthonyweston630]

Because people like to think that the positive things in our life our down the personal choice/effort/perseverance (even if it’s not true)

[@helenaquin1797]

​@@anthonyweston630Yes the old Just World Hypothesis that ppl unaware folks succumb to. Good things happen to good people and bad things happen...

[@helenaquin1797]

And certainly many children who have these "ultra processed industrially produced edible products" marketed to them through their phones, fed to them at school, perhaps fed to them at home dependent on how aware the parents are, etc. will have even MORE challenges once their higher metabolism of youth slows in young adulthood.

[@helenaquin1797]

​@@anthonyweston630yes it is true to a smaller degree than people pretend - even economic success as an example. Yes you need to know a few things, but the luck of the draw with the type of school district you grew up in, parents place on the scale, people known or encountered who give a leg up, people's opportunity to beat the system who don't get caught - from cheating in school up to sabotaging competative work colleagues etc.

[@drooooop]

Because people have maintained normal weights throughout all of human history until the last 50 years.

[@lauralahaye7699]

Genetics loads the gun, environnment pulls the trigger.

[@hederahelix4600]

"obese people are not morally bereft, they're not bad, they are fighting their biology" - Thank you, thank you, thank you. The last part made me cry. This should be taught at school, this should be part of common knowledge! I sincerely hope one day it will be. I have been suffering from this problem for all my life. On top of all the physical limitations that being obese brings, I also always had to fight the social stigma that is attached to it. The mental suffering that this stigma causes is immense and I have only realized in the last few years that it isn't all my own fault and it is so good to hear that I was right.

[@nikitaw1982]

interesting. feelings aside. i'm an alcoholic. i know if i keep drinking ill mess up my liver and the rest of my mind. i don't see an alcoholic acceptance movement. hospitals filled with alcoholics and obese people. life is hard

[@wolflink9000]

I mean being obese is still your fault/responsibility at the end of the day. Doesn't mean you're a bad person but you are a bigger (no pun intended) cost to society on average and obviously will probably die sooner.

[@UnicyclDev]

Do you eat more calories than you burn? Thermodynamics works.

[@thedolcetto81]

@gnorweb When people say "it's simple thermodynamics, calories in, calories out, I always reply 'How I wish the human body were as simple as a Carnot engine' "

[@TheDilemma76]

@@UnicyclDev We are to engines. It's not as simple as filling up a gas tank and determining how many miles per gallon do we get. There are so many different elements that go into it. The body doesn't even know what a calorie is since we don''t digest calories.

[@lawrencetoddverrnier302]

absolutely brilliant presenter.

[@rebalspirit]

The most poignant line of the lecture: "obese people are fighting their genetics." To which I would add they may also be fighting certain physiological processes that have become "diseased" as well and we give so little approval of that fight and usually only if the fight reflects a socially approved outcome that's perceptually observable.

[@virginicaanderson1569]

They are actually fighting big food and big Pharma and are losing!

[@potatoman8609]

Having genetics doesn't excuse obesity, it makes it harder but not impossible.

[@robertjr555]

Yes some of that diseased state might be leptin resistance

[@BarneyR2]

I've been about 40kgs overweight for many years. And its taken about 5 years to get to a normal weight. I have IBS-D and am trying to reduce those symptoms which I do by trying to eat less processed foods and it really is a constant battle over my biology that wants me to keep binging. I think there is also an element of brain pathways that gets messed up when you overeat. Even though my weight is just coming into normal range now my brain and also my physiology still wants to eat like before. I am hoping that will eventually change but it may not. My weightloss was a result of me focusing not on losing weight but on doing whatever was necessarily to reduce IBS. Focusing on a different goal with weightoss as a side effect has turned out to be a strategy that works because its a little easier to overcome brain and biological impulses that drive me to keep eating.

[@aidanschauer1581]

Even for a laymen this was pretty epic. Thanks for all the information, it will be helpful as I continue my own personal weight loss journey.

[@garybenade]

Giles is a an amazingly captivating speaker, with just the right balance of intellect and humour, breaking complex ideas down without being condescending, I thoroughly enjoyed this

[@charles-hebertlahaye8747]

This allowed me to get my dignity back.

[@juliustan1494]

Wow, I’m saving this video as reference for how to present incredibly complex and additive information in a simple and engaging manner. Amazing stuff Giles!

[@daniellevanooyen6904]

Im usually one to zone out and loose interest, but woo this presentation blew me away. So informative and fun to watch, thank you again. Will definite be taking notes. :)

[@shahuni]

"I had to come in looking smart, at least" - Best and honest use of this knowledge: "First impression is the last impression"

[@WilliamKhonggo]

Thank you Mr. Giles yeo and all your super team for the research and the willpower you put into this wonderful presentation, god bless you and stay healthy brother :)

[@bplus2932]

awesome speaker, kept me locked in.

[@jamesdspaderf2883]

I live in NYC, and I work in the health industry. The lack of driving does not seem to correlate with obesity, at all. So many overweight and obese people!

[@jamesdspaderf2883]

@@BrettHar123 did I suggest otherwise? But it's actually more complex than that. Why do some 'overconsume' and others do not.

[@meio4744]

@@BrettHar123 did you even watch the lecture? Why comment.

[@nikitaw1982]

when he said plopped out a baby....the dead silence lol. couldn't stop thinking about the ladys in the audience next 5 minutes

[@nikitaw1982]

@@jamesdspaderf2883 do they walk though? lots of skinny delivery people

[@evancooper7336]

Wish more lecturers were like this, can't tell if it's passion or mania though haha

[@magdalenakoehlen6571]

Who was it that actually took the trouble to knit Giles's "Food-to-Poop-Tube" model? They need to be massively applauded for their time and effort as well!

[@MrCervixtickler]

I love ri talks and this one stands out as a brilliant example of why everyone should watch ri

[@michaelwisniewski6047]

Amazing. Just could not stop watching Giles. I had other more important things to do, but NO, have to watch some more of this...!

[@TheAlexN1305]

34:32 - "He doesn't love you, he is hungry." xD

[@markbrown2749]

Wow. A lecture just doesn't get any better than this! 👏👏👏😁

[@dardobartoli]

Great episode, thanks for sharing.... love this guy

[@samueljohnson7121]

Only 33K views, this is a great watch with tonnes of good science. Well done RI & speaker!

[@jellyrcw12]

Just started, I love Giles Yeo's voice. He sounds very wholesome.

[@ChristopherSLucas-hv7nz]

Excellent. Thank you for posting.

[@stargazerbird]

Terrific stuff. Understanding is the key to change and Giles is really good at explaining so much complex science.

[@bplus2932]

phenomenal speaker, very interesting research and conclusion, also great fun and humility from this great mind, thank you for the content and information!

[@PaulMawdsley68]

This is the second RI I have watched with Giles and feel compelled to say: dude, you are awesome!

[@franciscoalvarez9162]

What a great talk, I enjoyed it a lot!

[@rays2794]

Another amazing lecture! You’re good dude, you are really good! I truly believed that in 95% of people obesity was a choice. I knew that there are diseases and abnormal genes that caused obesity but I thought that was just a small percentage of the population. My eyes have been opened and I actually feel stupid and embarrassed for not understanding the complexity of the problem.

[@ruan13o]

But you have done an amazing thing too. You have seen the evidence, assessed your previous prejudices and re-evaluated them. That is sadly more than what most people will do. Especially on the internet! Just keep learning and keep your mind open to new evidence.

[@marlathelittlesore....9088]

But...but...but....he DID SAY that it's a small percentage of the population that truly had a major deletion or distortion of these genes that cause actual obesity. Though expressions of many genes may make it harder for some people than for others to stay thinner in the same environment. Not everyone puts themselves in similar environments. I'm not virtue signaling here....but routinely turning into the drive through is a choice. What makes it easier or harder to make a healthy choice may be genetic, but it's still a choice.

[@noah5291]

@@marlathelittlesore....9088 true, but we don't get to pick our will power. We have no control over our will at all. You had no choice over the genes that determine your behavior, or the environment that determined your conditioning. You have no choice whether or not you get to make choices at all, you are forced to choose. You didn't get to choose to be born, you are thrown into sentience.

[@rockjockchick]

@@marlathelittlesore....9088 yes, but your willpower has little to do with it. He did say most people have the more subtle genetic traits, which is almost harder to figure out than, “oh, here, just take leptin!” Plus you have to change unconscious programming from your developmental environment as well. Do that and you might actually have a true choice in your food choices. The first choices are becoming aware of the previous things and coming up with a game plan -not just fighting yourself at each meal hoping will power will beat genetics.

[@TheBestofJuan]

@@noah5291 your brain changes depending on the choices you make. its called neuroplasticity, and yes while some of us may be born with a susceptibility to be at a heavier weight, we can still do what we can to be as healthy as we can. If we change our habits, our brain will change with it and make it easier. Also you are not forced to choose at all. If you truly want to not decide at all, you can simply not live anymore. You get what you want in my opinion.

[@SlowToe]

Absolutely brilliant. Thank you Ri

[@ppunion]

I don't know what it is with Dr. Yeo, but he is super engaging to listen to. Perhaps someone should study it :D Also: NEEEEEEEEEEEERD!

[@tsuchan]

Thanks Giles ❤️

[@prisonerohope6970]

Beautiful work! Great info! Sweet wedding photo!

[@billmccaffrey1977]

Wonderful talk. My wife must be at one extreme: she can eat all she wants of just about anything (actually consumes twice my calories daily) and her weight will fluctuate from 105 lbs to 110 lbs. My weight can fluctuate wildly: when very active, I can eat a lot and never gain any weight; when I am sedimentary, I can actually eat less and gain weight very fast; my weight can fluctuate dramatically from 195 lbs to 240 lbs simply based on activity and it happens in as little as 3 months. I learned this when I became disabled, and later learned to overcome/live with this disability (doctors mistake cost me my left foot).

[@deefee701]

So sorry they did that to you. Good on you for trying to overcome it.

[@tihana13]

Wow! What a story! Props to you!

[@nkundebarbara6303]

Sorry,I pray for the grace of God upon your life 🙏🙏🙏

[@KarlDMarx]

Excellent scientist and brilliant communicator ... I am waiting for him to tackle Corona with the same integrity!

[@adhipmitra]

Delightful talk.

[@rajx82]

Amazing talk and wonderful speaker

[@santopino2546]

How to make people interested in a boring argument. He did an excellent job.

[@MarkDurbin]

Brilliant and entertaining to boot! Thank you.

[@misha-jz4yx]

amazingly delivered and so educational. so couple genetics with childhood aces and public shaming and the availability of cheap calorie dense food

[@blame3987]

This guy is great! I loved it.

[@kofka13]

Great talk!!!

[@ellenalister2425]

Great balance between science, lay speech and humour, superb presentation!

[@paulpantea9521]

Such a great talk. I don't understand the down votes. Is it that controversial that your genes influence how much you crave food? Some people find it more difficult to eat properly because their brain keeps screaming that they're starving. That doesn't mean people don't have a responsibility for their health, just that some have it harder.

[@TheRoyalInstitution]

The balance is shifting now!

[@rockjockchick]

Agreed!

[@senselocke]

This man is *ridiculously* entertaining. So glad someone with such an entertaining and engaging manner of speaking has chosen such an important field of study. Makes it much easier when the science isn't just data, it's a *story,* because people respond better to stories. Thank you.

[@awildagarcia9673]

I randomly clicked on this and man am I enjoying it!!!!! Fantastic vid!!!!

[@chrisvanede1136]

Great lecture!

[@BenTajer89]

Enivronment is still huge, my cousins who are the same age as me, but are married and live out in the burbs are all overweight, while I'm in the city and I'm still in shape. The difference in weight between city and suburban folks is also pretty noticeable in general in the US, also in different regions. I think the biggest correlation seems to be how much people drive.

[@AQGOAT24]

For real. Having lived in both burbs and the city, when I live in cities, I always end up losing weight because I use public transit and am walking everywhere. In the burbs I even have to drive just to get a snack otherwise I'd waste over an hour if I was walking

[@GglSux]

Yes I also believe that lack of physical activity undoubtedly is a huge maybe in many cases even the major "factor". I have worked with "heavy manual labour" for periods of my life, and although I believe that my workmates most likely were an "average slice" of the population I don't remember any of them being properly obese. And, as with Your example, I attribute this to the "environmental aspect" of this issue. We simply burned so much calories doing our work every day, that we as a group, without any direct personal choice on our part, "ended up" skinnier than our "genetically identical brethren" that spent their days behind a desk. Which correlates to what I found Dr.Yeo saying here, from the start. Simply put eating, weight and finally obesity are all complex "mechanisms" that are greatly influenced by many things, not least on circumstantial factors. But we should be aware and accept the genes ALSO play a big and in many ways fundamental part in the "big picture". At least that's how I see the world...at the moment ;) Best regards.

[@Worteltaart]

@@AQGOAT24 'waste over an hour walking' seems like some sort of cognitive dissonance ;)

[@Sqlut]

You don't understand how genetic differences in familly actually work. The fact they are in the same familly means little. For example, if we do the same bitter taste with a Piperidine or Phenylthiocarbamide, you might be able to feel the bitterness and your sister/cousins, parents could be unable to taste it. Unless you and your cousins do a full scan of your gene, your argument means very little. Also, just the fact that some people prefer to live in the city or in the suburbs means there could be a genetic influence to this behavior and that it could be linked to many other things. There is not individual genes for every behaviors or traits, they kind of come with a "package", and it's probable where people prefer to live also shapes many other traits. But once again, people like you try to avoid the genetic argument by speaking about behaviors. I don't blame you, we used to burn epileptic people, it's a human thing. But when someone tries to give his piece of advice on such a channel, it would be perfect if more information was gathered or the thread a little bit more mastered before talking.

[@shaunwalker4221]

I lost 50ibs i used to always blame my metabolism but that was not the issue I was eating way to much food

[@KenSamaGomenasai]

At my highest weight I was over 400 pounds. I had an insatiable appetite my entire life. We found out that I have a genetic potassium deficiency last year.... I was dieting hard and ended up in the ER because my potassium levels were what should have been fatally low. Since getting on potassium supplements and potassium sparing diuretics, I'm down a hundred pounds. My hunger level is normal now. No... Obesity is not a choice, at least not for everyone.

[@davidr1431]

when people talk about obesity being a choice they should perhaps talk about the strength of hunger cues instead.

[@KenSamaGomenasai]

@@davidr1431 I'm willing to bet obesity in the USA is caused by nutritional deficits across the board. Even our vegetables are lacking in nutrients. When people are lacking in a nutrient they need to survive, such as an electrolyte, the body will force you to eat until it finds a trace amount of that element. The food industry needs to emphasize quality more than quantity.

[@brucehutchinson9527]

So very enlightening. I am thinking about people I know as I listened to your presentation. I was in the third grade when Crick and Watson discovered DNA. Before that chromosomes and Mendel genetics we're known and taught but none of this that has been learned since was even imagined.

[@petesaria-hf1xh]

If You’re Overweight, it’s YOUR Fault, is the name of a little weight loss journal I picked up on Amazon. I'm not in any great of losing weight (maybe that stubborn 10 pounds), but I've always contended that too much gut isn't anyone's fault but the habits of the overweight. This is a great little system to follow. I think I'll use it on my "obstinate ten."

[@Dr.MelodyRiversong]

Great! Besides fighting society's prejudice, obese people also have to fight genetics.

[@piaruns7928]

One more excuse...

[@talks2squirrels953]

Excellent talk.

[@GglSux]

@The Royal Institution Thank You for another great video. And think what You will about Dr.Yeo's message (I personally do believe it), he really is a marvelous presenter and Story Teller. If anything he might even be a tad "too good" making people enjoy his presentation so much that the message takes the "back seat"... Anyway thanks again for all Your great videos. Best regards

[@HealthWeathRecovery]

When we see a thin person we often assume that they must have a fast metabolism. It's strange that when we see an obese person, we don't automatically think that they must have a slow metabolism. A lot of times body weight and size is based on biology and genes, rather than willpower.

[@alexmorgan3435]

No it's people who are just gluttons for sugar and carbs, they are addicted to it. Vegan diets are high in sugar and carbs which is a ticket to becoming obese.

[@JonnySpec]

@@alexmorgan3435 Yet on average vegans have a lower BMI than carnists, hmm... (Although I guess it could be argued that people who go vegan are generally more health-conscious, so they eat less ultra-processed food)

[@baalbaalblacksheep191]

@2:15 "And thank you... all of you... who I think need to be questioning your life decisions"... Question answered... Lecture over !

[@parkviewmo]

I am so grateful that this research is going on. Maybe within the next few generations human beings won't be the object of the shaming, judgements of moral weakness, discrimination at work, and bullying that my generation has experienced. These human behaviors are particularly prevalent in the medical profession.

[@avg4015]

Thank you for changing my mind about people with obesity.

[@kashmirha]

Oh my god! What an excellent lecture, what a fantastic researcher and showman. Why are not there 100 times more viewers? Come on youtube algorithm.

[@Ghrainne]

The Shirt

[@toffee4ever641]

😂

[@galeocean4182]

Fascinating lecture! I believe that here is also a mind-set that determines if a person gives in to their cravings or manages them. and that is the "choice" part of how much one weighs. Humans have to manage all our other biological and genetic tendencies like anger and sex etc, so managing calories in, calories expended is another. Now I see how it is easy for some people.

[@funglegunk]

This dude is a rock star, haha. And has the credentials to back everything up. Fantastic lecture. It's science via infectious curiosity and joy, just brilliant.

[@joelonsdale]

He's not a rock star, he's a doctor - rock stars are a lower rank.

[@funglegunk]

@@joelonsdale but you realise what I meant by rockstar yeah?

[@joelonsdale]

@@funglegunk Yes, I was being snarky because I hate that turn of phrase, sorry!

[@funglegunk]

@@joelonsdale I see. Maybe hold the snark in next time.

[@cipaisone]

great science presenter

[@zanelewar8429]

Thank you

[@StuckCentrist]

Phenomenal

[@chocolatejellybean2820]

Great speaker

[@eduardomirafuentes1420]

I love this guy

[@thelaverie6137]

…….…and then add on the environment the person grew up in, with maybe emotional or physical abuse or neglect! It’s actually very sad really. It’s such a journey! Great talk, thank you:)

[@stephiegetsit]

14:39 I didn't know my father growing up. I found him at age 26. Yet we have favorite foods in common . And just yesterday speaking to him he brought up he is allergic to sweet potato. I am mostly plant based in dietary in take. Yet I avoid sweet potatoes, if I know it's an ingredient I just don't want that food, if I am grocery shopping I never buy it and if my husband asks want some sweet potato the automatic answer is no. Genes....

[@joshua.910]

Love Giles 👌

[@debasishraychawdhuri]

Actually watched it from 2 am and did not feel sleepy. Also, I had no idea about this.

[@nixodian]

Epigenetics. Brilliant presentation

[@boomika9987]

Thanks Giles Yeo. Jug jug jiyo!

[@kierancrotty1848]

Watch to the end, the closure is excellent.

[@aeydra]

That bitterness test was such an eye-opener for me. I'm a non-English living in the UK and I couldn't believe why on earth they would include Brussel sprouts in the traditional Xmas menu here when it's possibly the worst tasting vegetable 😝🤯 Well this explains it 😅 I love broccoli 🥦 though so grouping the 2 together is a bit strange 🤷‍♀️

[@idontbelieveinmagic]

in more recent years, brussel sprouts (and a lotta vegetables) have been bred to be a lot less bitter, so that might have part do do with it

[@michaelnurge1652]

They do that test in High School. Some people can't taste the PCT, some taste it. I think there are levels as well. To me it was so bitter I spat the paper out as fast as I could. I always hated sprouts and broccoli, also cauliflower, cooked spinach, kale, chard. Never was a huge fan of cabbage, bok choi, or that kind of thing either, though I could eat them if they were in a salad or only lightly cooked. For whatever reason, spinach and kale don't taste so bad when raw - which I only discovered as an adult.

[@tuttuttut7758]

I learned to eat the stuff. I had to as a vegetarian that started 30 years ago, there was nothing else but veggies

[@lolam.9291]

I live in the US and I have eaten brussel sprouts ever since i can remember.

[@piaruns7928]

Sprouts and Brokkoli are the only vegs I could not live without! Carrots are ok too, the Rest is... 🤢

[@cserpakbalazs6342]

Amazing lecture, very enjoyable. My takeaway: I'm a freak bc I still prefer a steak to a cake even after two or three steaks. Not that I hate the cake, but as long as I have a choice I'll take the meat.

[@missano3856]

Same, during the cookie story I thought, I'd ignore cookies but if it was beef jerky I'd be all over it

[@applegal3058]

Funny isn't it? I'd be all over something like rice pudding or icecream!

[@popflorals]

Mister, you are so smart.

[@ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095]

I usually listen at x1.25 or x1.5 speed as some speakers are so slow! I had to turn this guy down to normal! {:-:-:}

[@mortenle]

When the knee surgeon I'd just met (after losing 100 pounds) throws his hands in the air and yells, "Eat Salads! No--half salads!" I know science has left the building. I am constantly gaining and losing, yet lay people and doctors act like I am in complete moral failure because how dare I have a double chin since the age of 1? But Yeo may not be quite understanding the level of cultural crap poured on every fat person's head every minute of every day. After 54 years, I had had it--I eat more "intuitively" now, and work to not feeling guilt, to not obsess, to dress up or down how I want, and I've been a similar weight for 4 years now--I just wish I had done this years ago.

[@NS-xt5wv]

I have always known that I was BORN with an enormous appetite. From my mother complaining that I was insatiable when she was breastfeeding me to actually remembering how my peers at a kindergarten would secretly feed me their lunches because they didn’t want to, while for me one portion wasn’t enough. All worked well while I was active but then I got into a relationship, started spending more time at home and gained weight that I never got to lose, because my appetite is just crazy 😔

[@supreme84x]

So should we socially change the way meals are setup? Should we eat dessert first?

[@KismetWLS]

I would love a link to the knitting pattern for the guts

[@postlude1]

I liked the Usain Bolt analogy. Only a tiny minority of people have the genetics to be an Olympic sprinter, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get faster at running.

[@hanskraut2018]

And motivation comes from magic not from dopamine. And biology can be overruled by magic and god. Thank you average person for your contribution.

[@bluedotdinosaur]

Part of the public health problem is that the food industry is predicated on profiteering from encouraging people to eat things they don't need to eat, and then selling them cures for having eaten what they don't need to eat. People with genetic challenges in regards to weight gain are really just the canaries in the mineshaft for the corrupt and greedy profit-driven food culture the world is suffering from. Their bodies respond much more quickly to being placed in an environment where it is difficult to escape harmful and highly processed foods. As well, another issue is that we have trouble dealing the realities of obesity because of vanity. People who aren't overweight enjoy feeling superior to those that are, coming up with any excuse at hand. "I have superior will power!" "My intelligence is greater because I make the best food choices!" In the comments to this video, we see people dismiss the science by simply sneering that they eat a bag of broccoli and obese people don't. (In other words, it's just about overweight people being stupid, unlike the sophisticated and presumably thin-waist commentator.)

[@zetizahara]

This comment is so underrated.

[@H44nz]

short answer. YES

[@dexterdamonkey]

Problem with the quetelet kaup index (bmi): it has existed since the late 1800s, the values have increased twice ever since (once in the 50s, once in the 70s). I know it's widely used and accepted as a medical tool, doesn't stop it from being a very dodgy tool.

[@rockjockchick]

Agreed. They changed the basal body temp norm also. Lowered it to 97.5 instead of 98.6. To me it seems like we shouldn’t be moving the markers of healthy and figure out what has changed on such a mass scale.

[@TheDilemma76]

It also ignores the importance of the waist hip ratio which is a better indicator.

[@Dietconsulting]

It's a population tool. It predicts population risk. The problem is it gets applied to individuals

[@yashistampedes5849]

i know my cat doesnt love me. he gets all rubby dubby when he's hungry but as soon as he's had his fill he's as feral as f..you cant get near him for any thing. makes flea and tick treatments and assessing any wounds quite fun and challenging.

[@56NeilWatson]

great to see pre pandemic participation Labradors ..... life support system for a stomach

[@Failzz8]

Tl;dr: Yes, but the difficulty of the choice varies from person to person.

[@fifthycharaktersforaqualit7468]

I would advise anyone who wants to lose weight to start with non starchy vegtebles and low or no sugar protein scources pref lean so you can add healthy fats like olive oil and then just add 1 food item every (week) and if you keep losing weight add the next or change that one I bet you that you will lose weight. Dont feel afraid to make low carb/kcal sauces & soups and spices to make your foods taste good.

[@toni4729]

I had to stop for a rest, he was making my head spin.

[@willalm830]

I lost 4 stone cutting out carbs and above all SUGAR, change your taste buds its amazing how your taste changes once given a chance.4 stone 6 months and for the first time in many years a flat gut its brilliant

[@derekhalford187]

While we can choose what we eat, the food industry has manipulated our ability to control this by adding sugar and various other chemicals that produce a kind of addiction to certain products, so it's much more difficult to resist the urge to overeat or order the larger version of the meal. I'm not just talking about fast foods, but even in general our meats have been processed, bread, beans, breakfast cereals, yoghurts etc, have been loaded with sugars/sweetners. The consumer seems to be blamed for this, or at least targetted and the manufacturers are able to keep out of court by keeping to the bare minimum requirements of law. We are paying the price for this, as our western lifestyle has become plagued with sickness and disease.

[@EdwardVarner]

Yes.

[@grannystuna174]

yes.