BOGUS NEWS STORY OF THE WEEK: CENTRAL HEATING MAKES YOU FAT
by Hazed
Here in the UK it seems not a week goes by without some story appearing in the news about how terrible the obesity crisis is, many of the articles based on some very dodgy science. This is despite the fact that obesity numbers in the UK seem to have plateaued and may even be going down.
This week’s example seems quite bogus to me. The headline: Central heating may make you fat, say researchers.
Dutch researchers, the story tells us, have stated that having the central heating on in homes and offices means that we no longer have to burn calories to keep warm, so that’s why we are all putting on weight. Turning the thermostat down a few degrees could make all the difference.
However, not everyone goes along with this ridiculous theory. Other scientists have pointed out that if you are cold you tend to eat more so people would quickly compensate. Besides, you could equally claim that turning the heating up would make people sweat, which uses up energy, and they tend to eat less when they are hot - so we should all turn our thermostats up a few degrees.
That’s not to mention the fact that studies have suggested that in cold indoor temperatures, strokes are more likely, as well as the overall winter mortality effect.
Do I even need to mention the misery factor? I am delighted to live in a civilized, modern society where technology will keep me warm. Being cold enough to shiver is no fun at all. But then people who come up with these stupid theories about obesity obviously don’t live in the real world at all.
