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As a physician's assistant student at the University of Florida's Shands Teaching Hospital in 1975 I was very involved in their program of doing obesity bypasses. Most of our patients weight in at over 600 lbs. I saw them when they first applied to the program, pre-op, in surgery, post-op and in the follow-up clinic. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for the ones who lost weight after surgery and the ones who either didn't lose weight or actually gained weight. I was abundantly clear to those of us who dealt with these people on a day-to-day basis that their obesity was not due solely to an overabundance of calories. Dr. Woodward, the attending surgeon for the program, was convinced these people's bodies thought they were doing the patient a favor by being able to store more fat per calorie taken in than 'normal' people, and that their bodies felt this ability was going to help these people survive a coming Winter. Most of these patients had been on diets their entire lives, some of them having lost up to 1100 pounds over the years and gained that, and frequently many more pounds, back after each diet.

Woodward was convinced that we had yet to find the root cause for these people's ability to use calories so sparingly and store the rest for hard times.

They were the most appreciative patients I ever worked with. Every one of the was thankful to find medical personnel who didn't simply write them off as lacking will power to control their appetite.

I take it from this article that we've not gotten much closer to solving the mystery in the 30 years since I was a part of the search.

Very sad. I am overweight, but I am not one of those who is morbidly obese, that is their weight is a threat to their life. I am overweight because I eat too much and exercise too little. That can not be said for many of the patients who become candidates for an obesity bypass.

I know this sounds simplistic; but, if you want to know if someone will eventually be overweight just look at the length of their neck. I am short, fat and have NO NECK and I have been overweight for 25 years now. My family members and ancestors mostly look exactly like I do. The only ones that are thin have very distinct necks. Those of us who are overweight basically have no noticeable neck. I have been observing necks of people for several years now and I very rarely see anyone excessively overweight who has a long neck. I don't know what causes this phenomenon and I certainly have never seen or heard of anyone sharing my theory. However, if you spend a little time people watching you will find out I am correct.

I am overweight...not obese. Always have been. I've known since I was 12 that if I ate like everyone else, I WOULD be obese. The only way I have ever been able to lose weight is to be constantly hungry and work out intensively.

I always said that my body was designed to carry big rocks up the sides of mountains while not being fed. That's when I look and feel my best!!!

It sucks!!