Comments on: An Active Orangutan Burns Fewer Calories Than a Lazy Human http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/08/03/an-active-orangutan-burns-fewer-calories-than-a-lazy-human/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day's most compelling topics. Tue, 22 May 2012 06:34:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jay Fox http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/08/03/an-active-orangutan-burns-fewer-calories-than-a-lazy-human/comment-page-1/#comment-233124 Jay Fox Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:56:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=18421#comment-233124 It's the price we pay for a big brain. Those orangutans are waayyy stronger than we are, and do it while burning fewer calories? This seems to say that exercise doesn't help to burn that many calories, all things considered. Sure, the ape metabolism appears slower than ours, but where does their savings come from? For one, they're not trying to maintain a big brain. Seems to me, if we want to lose weight, we should engage our hungriest element, the brain. Work those crosswords, and lose weight doing it! Has anyone noticed that those obese couch potatoes stare at what seems to be lower and lower quality programming all day long? The stupider the shows get, the fatter they become. I wonder what a study might show if one were to compare the type of programming viewed to overall body health. Would there be a statistical difference between those who watch science and documentary programming and those who watch cartoons and reality shows? Just my own observation, but if I want the (chubby) grandkids to leave the room, all I have to do is tune the TV to something "sciency." They suddenly find other stuff to do. It’s the price we pay for a big brain. Those orangutans are waayyy stronger than we are, and do it while burning fewer calories? This seems to say that exercise doesn’t help to burn that many calories, all things considered. Sure, the ape metabolism appears slower than ours, but where does their savings come from? For one, they’re not trying to maintain a big brain.

Seems to me, if we want to lose weight, we should engage our hungriest element, the brain. Work those crosswords, and lose weight doing it!

Has anyone noticed that those obese couch potatoes stare at what seems to be lower and lower quality programming all day long? The stupider the shows get, the fatter they become. I wonder what a study might show if one were to compare the type of programming viewed to overall body health. Would there be a statistical difference between those who watch science and documentary programming and those who watch cartoons and reality shows? Just my own observation, but if I want the (chubby) grandkids to leave the room, all I have to do is tune the TV to something “sciency.” They suddenly find other stuff to do.

]]> By: Rhacodactylus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/08/03/an-active-orangutan-burns-fewer-calories-than-a-lazy-human/comment-page-1/#comment-232288 Rhacodactylus Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:12:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=18421#comment-232288 Poor guy, it's gotta be hard not to take it personally when the benchmark they are using for your lethargy is the sloth. Poor guy, it’s gotta be hard not to take it personally when the benchmark they are using for your lethargy is the sloth.

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