Seriously, how is anyone dumb enough to be fat?

[Phea1Mike]

Yeah I thought I'd post this in the quintessential format that atheists choose on the Religion forum. It really does my head in.

What I've learned so far disturbs me greatly. People are so, so dumb.

I know people who worry about their weight, but don't do anything to change their destructive/unhealthy lifestyles! It's like they never bothered learning nutrition and they don't want to learn it now.

This is what I've learned: people are extremely ignorant. In fact they're so unaware that they try "fad diets" with no concept as to why it would or wouldn't work. They say that they want to lose weight - but don't even bother to make the easy small changes to their eating habits that would guarantee it!!

Like true, I don't really understand how my car engine works and that's why I let a mechanic take care of it - but we're talking about our bodies, how do people not take proper care of their own bodies???

So seriously, how is it that people are so, so dumb??

Interesting parallels exist between fat folks and religious people. I personally know some fat people and religious people. Hell, I even know a few people who are fat and religious! Saying, "they're just dumb", is a knee-jerk, simplistic, and incorrect response. First of all, I personally know many fat/religious people who are not dumb by any measure. Dumb might apply, if at all, as to why people stay fat or religious, not how they became that way in the first place. Let's examine this interesting subject.

Of course genetics plays an important role regarding our physical attributes and development which can't be said about religion, but for the most part, people aren't born fat, and/or, religious. The reason people get fat/religious, is because of what they're taught by their parents, family, friends, teachers, and their culture. One only need look at a map of the world's religions to see that where you were born has a whole lot more to do with what god or gods you believe in, than, what is "true".

Early on, and throughout their childhood, we reward children constantly and consistently with food and sweets for good behavior. We also withhold it, (go to bed without any supper, no desert for you, etc.) for bad behavior. It's no wonder why many people get, and stay fat. Religion does the same thing, programs us in basically the same way, and is ingrained at a very early age.

We've been hardwired by evolution to crave and enjoy salt, sugar, and fat, (which can be rare in the wild). We also evolved early on, to be very afraid of danger, of bad weather, fires, drought, floods, disease, strangers, and almost every new thing, and to find safety and comfort in the old ways, in our tribal rituals, in the familiar, and in the myths and fables we passed along from father to son, mother to daughter, old to young, allowing religion to flourish.

One thing all religions share is the euphoric rush that overtakes and overwhelms their followers when they're "feeling moved by the spirit of the Lord", or "speaking in tongues", or "taking communion", or "praying to Allah", or "ritual dancing", or in "deep meditation", or when an atheist looks at the night sky and realizes stars had to die, to create the stuff his body, the stuff life, is made of. Often it can resemble group hysteria, or deep, quiet solitude, or a Hindu staring at the sun until blind, or holding an arm up for years.

To someone who doesn't understand, these practices can look real dumb, but they're not, just like the fat person rewarding himself with another fatty, salty, fast food burger and fries because "he deserves a break today", isn't dumb... just brainwashed, conditioned, and a victim of having been evolved as a human, same as the religious folks.