Is Air Conditioning causing the modern obesity epidemic?

[Beerina]

I apologize ahead of time, as I cannot provide a link (haven't found it so far) but I had heard a study on the radio where rats were fed a little too much food, and some were kept cool and others in warmer temperatures.

The thought was obviously the cooler ones would gain weight more slowly, having to burn off more calories to stay warm. Yet the opposite happened. The cold rats gained weight significantly faster than the warm ones.


Autopsying the rats, the cold rats had grown larger intestines (I don't recall if it was longer or wider or what, if they even said) and thus presumably absorbed significantly more energy from the food.



The point was there are studies showing animals will eat more in colder weather, but this showed the weight was packed on with the exact same amount of food eaten due to more intense digestion.


Now there are lots of countries surpassing the US as we speak in obesity, these are all hotter weather climates like Mexico and the Middle East, where more and more people are having the cash to buy air conditioning these past decades.



It couldn't be the only thing, with more sedentary lifestyles, cheaper high-calorie, ready-to-eat food, and so on. It just seemed quite interesting because if it is accurate and applies to humans, too, it could be the lion's share of that weight gain.

 

[nota]

no it is the beer

 

[Spock Jenkins]

Lack of physically demanding work.

 

[madurobob]

"Causing"? I spose it could be one of may factors, but rather low on the list. I'm no medical expert, but I suspect its mostly the crappy diet and lack of regular exercise.

But, as grandpa used to say, sometimes randomly during dinner, "air conditioning rurnt the South!"

 

[3point14]

I'm in the UK. Currently we have a mini heatwave - as high as 30 degrees C over the last couple of days.

If anyone comes to try to take my aircon away, they can have it when they've killed me and not before.

 

[The Man]

I apologize ahead of time, as I cannot provide a link (haven't found it so far) but I had heard a study on the radio where rats were fed a little too much food, and some were kept cool and others in warmer temperatures.

The thought was obviously the cooler ones would gain weight more slowly, having to burn off more calories to stay warm. Yet the opposite happened. The cold rats gained weight significantly faster than the warm ones.


Autopsying the rats, the cold rats had grown larger intestines (I don't recall if it was longer or wider or what, if they even said) and thus presumably absorbed significantly more energy from the food.


The point was there are studies showing animals will eat more in colder weather, but this showed the weight was packed on with the exact same amount of food eaten due to more intense digestion.


Now there are lots of countries surpassing the US as we speak in obesity, these are all hotter weather climates like Mexico and the Middle East, where more and more people are having the cash to buy air conditioning these past decades.



It couldn't be the only thing, with more sedentary lifestyles, cheaper high-calorie, ready-to-eat food, and so on. It just seemed quite interesting because if it is accurate and applies to humans, too, it could be the lion's share of that weight gain.

Depends, as I'm sure you know, on the details of the study.

Just generally, as warm blooded creatures, like rats, we generate heat internally. In cold temperatures fat provides both insulation and a store of fuel to generate heat.

While my girlfriend might like to keep the house as cold or colder in the the summer as in the winter. We basically live in an insulated aluminum can with a black cover. Keeping the inside about 10 degrees F lower than the outside is the best I can do. Humidity is a big factor as well. If I recall correctly, 80 cal to phase change 1 gram of water from vapor. Enough to cool that same gram (without the phase change) by 80 degrees C. A lot of energy and humidity makes a big difference in comfort.

So the level of cold or just the difference in temp between the groups in the study can be a major factor.


TLDR:

Food & fat generally more beneficial when cold (like outside in winter). Not so much otherwise.

 

[EHocking]

I'm in the UK. Currently we have a mini heatwave - as high as 30 degrees C over the last couple of days.

If anyone comes to try to take my aircon away, they can have it when they've killed me and not before.

... when they prise it from your cold, dead hands ... [/missed meme]

 

[Pixel42]

I've noticed that my cats eat a lot more than usual around October/November. In the current heatwave their appetite has significantly reduced, as has mine. Make of that what you will.

 

[marplots]

I've noticed that my cats eat a lot more than usual around October/November. In the current heatwave their appetite has significantly reduced, as has mine. Make of that what you will.

I'm gonna guess you just lost your craving for cat food.

 

[Puppycow]

It couldn't be the only thing, with more sedentary lifestyles, cheaper high-calorie, ready-to-eat food, and so on. It just seemed quite interesting because if it is accurate and applies to humans, too, it could be the lion's share of that weight gain.

I think that air conditioning is one of many technologies and the effect is cumulative. I don't think it accounts for "the lion's share".

It may correlate pretty well though because it is a sign of a certain level of economic development. If you have air conditioners it means you probably also have escalators, cars, microwave ovens, TVs, fast food, pizza delivery and a hundred other things that cumulatively make us fat.

 

[Pixel42]

I'm gonna guess you just lost your craving for cat food.

 

[Red Baron Farms]

I'm in the UK. Currently we have a mini heatwave - as high as 30 degrees C over the last couple of days.

If anyone comes to try to take my aircon away, they can have it when they've killed me and not before.

AHHH poor you. 30 degrees Get back with me when you have any real heat.

PS. If your home was built right, 30 degrees absolutely does NOT require AC to keep cool.

 

[MikeG]

I'm in the UK. Currently we have a mini heatwave - as high as 30 degrees C over the last couple of days.......

You're not in my part of the country, then. We have had 33 or 34 for the last 6 days. Combine this with humidity levels of 80 to 90%, something many people forget, and comfort levels haven't been great. However, without aircon, my house has stayed at 24 or less the whole time.

 

[3point14]

AHHH poor you. 30 degrees Get back with me when you have any real heat.

PS. If your home was built right, 30 degrees absolutely does NOT require AC to keep cool.

Yeah, I think we're working on completely different scales.

My house was built in the late 1800s, I don't think they were too concerned with building codes and it certainly doesn't have aircon

The aircon I'm referring to is at work and, by the gods this is essential, in the car.

 

[Octavo]

I'm in the UK. Currently we have a mini heatwave - as high as 30 degrees C over the last couple of days.

If anyone comes to try to take my aircon away, they can have it when they've killed me and not before.

Ooooh, 30 degrees C. Oh how my former colonial overlords make me laugh. No wonder you gave up Africa. Too lilly-livered to deal with real weather

</tongue firmly in cheek>

 

[3point14]

You're not in my part of the country, then. We have had 33 or 34 for the last 6 days. Combine this with humidity levels of 80 to 90%, something many people forget, and comfort levels haven't been great. However, without aircon, my house has stayed at 24 or less the whole time.

Ah, I spent the hottest part of the weekend in a sea kayak, a few hundred yards out to sea where it's cooler and calmer and really rather lovely.

 

[baron]

I think, like 99% of experiments involving animals, they tell us nothing about the human condition, and instead represent self-indulgent fettling by scientists who want to ensure their budget isn't cut next year.

 

[3point14]

Ooooh, 30 degrees C. Oh how my former colonial overlords make me laugh. No wonder you gave up Africa. Too lilly-livered to deal with real weather

</tongue firmly in cheek>

I stepped out of an air conditioned car once into the unfettered heat of the Nevada desert. Not to put to fine a point on it, **** that! I got back in pretty sharpish and made a beeline for the nearest AC unit.

You can bloody keep Africa.

 

[MikeG]

Ooooh, 30 degrees C. Oh how my former colonial overlords make me laugh. No wonder you gave up Africa........

I've been more comfortable in the Namib at 45 C than in Britain at 35. The difference? The Namib has extremely low humidity. Britain can (and usually does) have extremely high humidity. Here is a forecast for tomorrow, locally to me, with 97% humidity but no rain.

Further, hot countries have houses designed to cope with heat. Here, we have houses designed to cope with cool damp weather, and they don't generally perform very well in the heat.

 

[baron]

Ooooh, 30 degrees C. Oh how my former colonial overlords make me laugh. No wonder you gave up Africa. Too lilly-livered to deal with real weather

</tongue firmly in cheek>

I've never really understood the basis of this viewpoint. I understand it's tongue in cheek but surely it's more manly to shrug off the cold, not the heat. When a friend and I visited Boston one November we were asked by a cop, whilst walking down a quiet (empty!) main street early one morning, if we were "OK there". Apparently the fact we were wearing t-shirts and it was a horrifically cold 5C was cause to suspect us of mental instability. Those yanks, I swear, such wimps