[Opinion] Appetite and Obesity

“While men have more difficulty in controlling sexual desire, women have more trouble in holding back their appetites,” said professor of Psychology, Karl Scheibe, at Wellesley College, U.S.A., about the differences between men and women on the most basic desires of humankind. Both of them are essential in preserving a human species; however, when it comes to their importance, men and woman show different attitudes. Power-oriented men perceive that sex is also part of wielding their power. On the other hand, women value having attractive appearances since they were chosen by men who hunted for food from the time of gathering and hunting. He explained that the obsession of women with their body shapes resulted from it.

It also explains the different attitudes of men and woman toward obesity. According to the surveys done by Kangbuk Samsung Medical Center and Asan Medical Center, half of the obese men answered, “I am not fat.” However, 22.1 percent of women answered that they were overweight when only 16.5 percent of them were actually obese. It is because they desire a body shape like that of a model due to the pressures from society, in which appearance is regarded as an equivalent to the essential condition for female survival. Being overweight increases the probability of getting diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure; meanwhile, it seems that women are rather more likely to die or ruin their health from trying to lose more weight. Criticizing their lack of will power, which is unable to even control their appetites, as well as the society where beauty means everything.

Many people argue that the problem of obesity cannot be resolved by an individual dimension of appetite control. The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) of the U.S. exclaims not to annoy innocent individuals, claiming that “what determines weight is not diet but genes.” Voices are heard criticizing greedy commercials of fast-food chains and mega-food companies, since they keep adding sugar and fat, which causes people to eat more and to feel good. The obesity issue has shown signs to be extended as a political topic as the poor class, which has no time and energy to care about food control and exercise, are getting more obese and the discrimination against these people increases.

University of Ulsan College of Medicine discovered in-body appetite control substance called “Alpha-lipoic acid” for the first time in the world. It is good news for women who have always lost the battle against weight because they cannot resist their appetites, and as a result, indulged into self-hatred or complained about society. If controlling weight is a choice for health, beauty, and development, there is nothing wrong with it. It is said that in two years at the earliest, it will be used as an epoch-making anti-obesity drug, so I hope that this will be able to terminate the agony and debate over obesity.

Kim, Soon-duk, Editorial writer, yuri@donga.com