Yes, obesity is about much more than food
David Ludwig says it makes more sense to argue that a teenager’s growth spurt causes increased eating than that increased eating causes the growth spurt (8 January, p 21). Similarly, he says, obesity due to intrinsic factors may lead to excess energy intake, rather than vice versa.
I have often thought that nobody would use the absurd argument that elephants are bigger than mice because they eat more. Genetics explains this. So why is genetics so often ignored as a cause of obesity? The problem, of course, is that we can’t change genetics, so we have to alter non-genetic factors.
I don’t want to live on a diet that is low in carbohydrate and high in fat 鈥� Ludwig’s solution. Far better is changing my expectations of satiety and eating habits, as explained in the previous week’s article by David Robson (1 January, p 36). It seems to work for me.
Firms are already hacking employees' personalities
In “How to hack your personality”, you say “companies might pressure staff to undergo personality change training against their will” (15 January, p 46).
This sort of thing already happens on a regular basis. Many firms try to push “mindfulness” and “resilience” training on staff, so that instead of trying to fix the problems in the work environment, they can send people on courses to “fix” their reactions to stress instead.
I have also seen a few seminars and “motivational” speakers claim that anyone can control their stress responses, and then employers expect people to just do that because someone said it was possible, when actually this takes extensive therapy.
The other great global crisis we must tackle
As your report on the pandemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) shows, this is already killing millions of people around the world (29 January, p 20). Without coordinated international projects, the problem is only going to worsen.
The serious consequences of AMR have long been known, but the problem has yet to be tackled with any urgency. In light of these findings, we need global action.
We need a renewed focus driven by public-private partnerships and philanthropic funding. Crucially, governments and international bodies must incentivise research, something the Pistoia Alliance, a non-profit group, advocates. Without a significant and prolonged increase in investment into AMR research, the cost to national economies and public health will be devastating.
Don't treat animals as spare parts for people (1)
You report on the first pig heart transplant into a person, in the US (15 January, p 7). Using animals as warehouses for spare parts is morally wrong.
Pigs are sentient, complex, intelligent individuals that, like any animal, shouldn’t be raised and raided for their organs. People who need a transplant need a human organ and changing US laws to presume consent for organ donation, as is , would make many more organs available, saving lives and sparing more animal suffering.
Don't treat animals as spare parts for people (2)
As science communicators, we must be considerate of the language we use to convey ideas and information. Terms such as “donated” imply an explicit decision by an individual. We must admit and clearly convey that animals aren’t able to give their consent and, as such, aren’t able to donate their organs.
Gas crisis fix mustn't encourage energy use (1)
With regard to lowering the impact of high energy prices on consumers, remember that we want to cut the use of fossil fuels, so policies to alleviate this problem shouldn’t promote energy use (15 January, p 20).
If direct payments are made to consumers, they shouldn’t be linked to energy consumption 鈥� people should have the right to choose how to spend the money, but everyone should pay for energy at the same rate.
Gas crisis fix mustn't encourage energy use (2)
According to renewable power group , “all energy sources in the UK, from wind to solar to fossil fuels, are being sold based on the high price of gas imports 鈥� the higher price of ‘brown’ electrons artificially putting up the price of ‘green’ ones as well”. However, about 40 per cent of our gas isn’t imported, it comes from the North Sea.
The price we pay for this gas has increased at least fourfold since last October compared with the average price over the past five years “because of the (very flawed )way the market is currently set up”, according to Octopus Energy. Windfall taxes could be applied to at least halve the projected price increase in domestic energy.
AIs may be all at sea when it comes to drifting fish
David Hambling reports on the impressive accuracy of AI and mathematical modelling in predicting where drifting devices end up in the ocean, and speculates about its possible application to fish larvae (15 January, p 10).
Some ecologists might try to use this to predict the trajectory, speed and landing site for larvae. But that won’t work unless the system can take account of the fact that larvae and young fish use all sorts of clues (olfactory, auditory and visual especially, and maybe magnetic) to get to a suitable habitat or find others of their species. These animals may also move up and down the water column to pick up currents going in a desired direction. Without accounting for these factors, use of such models for this purpose would be naive.
Don't forget the global warming burp effect
Colin Heath’s belief that replacing livestock with trees wouldn’t deliver a sufficiently fast reduction of greenhouse gases because trees take 25 years to grow overlooks the immediate elimination of the animals’ flatulence (Letters, 15 January).
For the record {05 February 2022}
The 2013 novel Life After Life is by Kate Atkinson (15 January, p 2).