Existentialism and the Mars bar diet.

291 Everywhere I read that obesity is a medical problem. It is not. Not unless motoring is also a medical problem. Both obesity and driving have bad health, hence medical, consequences, but they are lifestyle choices. Of all the philosophical and religious constructs invented by human beings, for me, the only sensible and intelligent place in the forest to sit is in the chair marked existentialism. Simply put, existentialism states that human beings find themselves in a material universe, including our material bodies, and are faced with the inevitability of choice. The clever thing is that choice isn't optional. There are many things I cannot choose; I can't choose to have been born in a different place or a different time. I can't choose to have a wonderful voice or a magical athletic talent. But there are many other things I can choose, indeed, everything which is not inevitable is subject to choice, even if whoremaster man* denies it. We know that body mass is a function of food intake and exercise, both of which are under voluntary control, even though millions of people may deny it. The recent 'discovery' of a 'fat gene' exemplified yet again the scientific illiteracy of our media. Farmers have been selectively breeding their livestock to maximise meat production long before gene theory was even elucidated. No one doubted the existence of genes which predispose people to weight gain. The scientists have added to the knowledge of the genome, they have not, and would not, claim to have 'discovered a fat gene'. Even the most efficient food-converting human will lose weight if they eat less than they burn. Hence the Mars ® bar diet. I noticed that a common multipack had bars of 246 calories each. Four a day with black coffee and water would cause me to lose weight. I've always loved Mars bars ever since I was a little boy when they cost four old pence. It was an interesting experience and I made a number of simple discoveries and one which was more unexpected. I lost 1 kg in 10 days. I discovered that the environment is replete with food smells and opportunities to buy food and consume snacks. Twice in the 10 days I had to have a meal with a friend for social reasons, for example, a curry after the cinema, (I deleted two Mars bars that day). The diet …