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Obesity:

My first thought was that maybe people at higher latitudes are less active, as they are remaining indoors to keep warm. On the other hand, when it’s very hot, people are lethargic.

My second thought was maybe it’s an evolutionary adaptation: people at higher latitudes have more fat to keep warm.

My third thought was that much of the world’s wealth is in Europe and North America, so at higher latitudes. Maybe, while remaining indoors, the people are inventing things which create wealth, resulting in them overeating.

It must be quite a challenge to disentangle all these competing factors.

"My first thought was that maybe people at higher latitudes are less active, as they are remaining indoors to keep warm. On the other hand, when it’s very hot, people are lethargic. My second thought was maybe it’s an evolutionary adaptation: people at higher latitudes have more fat to keep warm. My third thought was that much of the world’s wealth is in Europe and North America, so at higher latitudes. Maybe, while remaining indoors, the people are inventing things which create wealth, resulting in them overeating."

Door # 3. Not simply because there are video games and wide screens, but

By Aug 31, 2007 it was reported, "The average American today works 8 hours less per week and enjoys 7 hours more leisure per week than in 1965." ..During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, people age 15 and older spent 32 minutes more per day in leisure and sports activities than they did in 2019—5.5 hours compared with 5.0 hours. (https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/time-spent-in-leisure-and-sports-activities-increased-by-32-minutes-per-day-in-2020.htm).

The daily supply of calories in America climbed from 2,873 in 1961 to 3,793 in 2005 before slightly decreasing to 3,663 in 2013 (latest stats found).

- https://ourworldindata.org/food-supply

Having overcome affliction and adversity, the blessing of affluence is a test which few individuals and no nation I know of has not been overcome by.

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good. (Ezekiel 16:49-50)

While increasing in material goods, America has weakened the hand of the poor and needy as regards spiritual and family values, thus having a negative balance sheet.