IN his fascinating book Unnatural Causes, forensic pathologist Dr ÂRichard Shepherd observes how, over the years, the dead bodies he examines have changed. One of the most noticeable is the rapid increase in body fat. He says: “Unless a patient is homeless or has died of cancer or is so old or poor they could not eat, few are the same shape as the dead of the 1980s when I started practising. “Looking back at forensic photos from that era I am astonished at how thinness was then the norm.” Fast-forward just three decades and obesity levels are now rising...