Obesity caused by environment and cultural factors

Think obesity is due to food addictions and all those tasty chemicals on most of the foods we eat? Not according to Dr. Sara Kirk, who believes obesity is a product of environment and culture more than anything.

This is an interesting study and it opens up another possibility to why so many of us are becoming obese these days. Has food or food marketing radically changed in the last 15 years to make so many of us obese? Does the cause lie in cultural changes?

Dr. Kirk states that instead of obesity being an individual problem, culture and environment are far more powerful. Should doctors tell obese patients that it is indeed their fault -- and to eat less and exercise more? Or, should doctors take some social anthropology courses and mix in more than strictly medical knowledge into their bag of tricks for each patient?