what causes overweight?

wherever you go... you read articles about how this food is fattening, that food is fattening... and the solution they give, ohh eat this but cut that...

fast food chains were the 1st choice to blame by media/society... well, i won't say they're not fattening... they are! it's scary to read the stats on how much calories a Big Mac contains... so, don't you think it's a bad idea to eat those burgers too much?

then companies start introducing atkins diet, zone, south beach, etc etc... different type of weight loss pill are flooded the market. some says those diets are good, some says stay away from them... i heard weight loss industry is 1 really hot industry these days.

then lately, i start reading articles saying that how mexican food, italian food, chinese food, and some other cuisines are bad for you. they say oh, 1 plates of this equal to this much calories that pretty much the entire calorie you need for 1 day and then some...

and here i am wondering... how can people in this country become sooo big? i mean, some of 'em are seriously BIG. there're overweight people in 3rd world country, too. but they're not this big. is it the portion?? because i do remember how shocked i was when the 1st food arrived in front of me when i just arrived to this country. and these days, i still find some food portions are just too much.... what i learnt about ordering food when i grew up was we ordered enuf variety of food that we would share with everybody on the table. and we made sure that the food wouldn't be too much that nobody could finish it. and here, i notice that not many people do that. you order what you want, and you just eat what order. although you share the food, then it'd be just a tiny little bit... i don't say it's wrong at all. hey, every custom is different. people grow up differently, too. but i'm just wondering if not sharing food contributes (altho a li'l bit) to this overweight problem.

the last time i was home, i remember i was pigging out big time. all i did was just eat - sleep, eat - sleep, eat - sleep. i missed the food so much, i prepared myself to the fact that i'd gain so much weight when i came back here. but guess what, the entire month i was there, i lost 8lbs! hmm.... at one point i thought my scale was broken. so i went to my friend's dorm room 'n weighed myself there. and it was true!!... so what is it really about food back home and here??? 'cuz i know for sure that if i consume the same amount of food like i did back home, oh Lord, have mercy... i'll be as big as elephant right now.

so... is it the portion? is it the fat content?... but food back home has soooooo much starch and fattening, too... especially those street food... yummm... added with all the street pollution. yum yum yum... so heavenly! he he he. but i never see anyone as big as some people here.... is it genetic?? but how?? how the gene changes? did very very overweight people already exist long time ago (like in 17th or 10th century)?

and i wonder......


FACT (sorta): do you know that an adult elephant poops about 165lbs a day??? he he he... someone told me once, but i don't know the accuracy of of this fact (too lazy to do research on elephant's poop).