Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2017 January 4

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January 4

long term hydration/survival

After reading about Pedialyte and Oral Rehydration Therapy is it possible that a person could survive long term by only drinking Pedialyte (or some other mainstream ORT) without drinking water by itself. (ORT's have water in them) 64.170.21.194 (talk) 00:46, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

Look at the nutrition info for Pedialyte: [1]. It doesn't have any protein or fat, both required macronutrients, so you would eventually die from that. StuRat (talk) 20:29, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

However, you wouldn't die of thirst, which I think is the OP's question. There's no biological need to drink "raw" water - I myself can subsist entirely on tea, coffee and orange juice, and I'm sure I'm not alone. That being said, ORT solutions contain a fair amount of salt, so anyone who drank nothing else would need to keep a close eye on their salt intake from other sources. Tevildo (talk) 21:56, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

Yes, the Pedialyte has 253 mg of sodium per 25 calorie serving. At that rate, if you made it your only source of calories, then a 2000 calorie per day diet would require 80 servings, at 18800 mg of sodium per day. That's clearly not a good idea. I'm also thinking that drinking just that with no other water would lead to sodium toxicity. StuRat (talk) 23:10, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

Metabolism and obesity

I'm looking for studies about the public's perception of metabolism and obesity, specifically the idea that some people have "slow" or "fast" metabolisms, and so have an easier time losing or gaining weight. Benjamin (talk) 07:54, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

Thyroid hormones are relevant. Whether a person tends to gain weight is also a property of the gut biota. (I would say this qualifies; as gut biota also have fundamental psychological effects I think we can argue by now that "person" may be used to refer to a community of species rather than only to the human individual...). I ought to look through the literature a bit later on... There are also certainly lipid storage disorders that make it extremely hard for some to gain weight; I'd suppose related genes might have a role concerning its loss. Wnt (talk) 12:56, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

OP is asking about perception and belief, not the underlying science/physiology. SemanticMantis (talk) 19:58, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

Personally think "slow" or "fast" metabolisms is rubbish. A diet which is high in carbohydrates such a bread and sugars gets converted into fat (for the lean times of the year which occurred in ancient times). In modern society there are no more lean times because of supermarkets. So people who's diet consist mainly of these foods just become obese. The tricky point is that the body quickly convert carbohydrates, lowering the blood sugar levels, leading to the eater feeling hungry again soon after. Thus, it becomes a vicious circle. --Aspro (talk) 14:05, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

I had read somewhere the argument that evolution prepared us to eat a whole mammoth before the meat rots and store its nutrients to last until the next successful hunt (ok, a bit of paraphrasing here), so being able to store energy (=get fat) was a desirable genetic trait and was selected. A mere 50 years (at most 200) of plenty was not enough to evolve the other way towards Homo MacDonaldus, the species that can eat a lot and sweat it out. Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 16:56, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

"Causal beliefs about obesity and associated health behaviors: results from a population-based survey"

"Obesity Metaphors: How Beliefs about the Causes of Obesity Affect Support for Public Policy"

"Public Opinion and the Politics of Obesity in America"

"Eating habits, beliefs, attitudes and knowledge among health professionals regarding the links between obesity, nutrition and health"

See also health belief model. SemanticMantis (talk) 19:58, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

Also note that a higher metabolic rate isn't always a good thing, as it may mean more oxidative stress, a tendency to overheat in hot weather, and "nervous" behavior like pacing and tapping your fingers or toes. And those with fast metabolism may just eat more and still gain weight. StuRat (talk) 20:43, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

Have a ref for higher metabolic rate being linked to fidgeting? SemanticMantis (talk) 21:12, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

Some people spend loads of money on proprietary diet programs and surfer the hunger pains from forced denial. When all they really need to do is go back to basics and eat our natural, evolutionary paleolithic diet. That gives not only the necessary energy but the desire to frequently run, swim and run up the stairs rather than wait for the elevator (enhancing their figure at the same time and reducing the chances of diabetes, cancer, CHD , stokes and so forth). Yet, of course, the money is to be made in convincing them that it is genetic, metabolism or ethnic, etc. and their only help is in seeking expert (and expensive) professional help. In the 1960's diet pills (amphetamines) where all the rage. The quote: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” has stood for some 2000 years. The palaeolithic diet does not come without cost though. One's breath may become unpleasant until the fat is burnt off. Yet, one has the choice. Don't you want to be able to see one's grandchildren grow up or do you want to ensure professionals take your money so that it their kids can get though collage to become experts like them?...! No one suffers from obesity (as if it was a disease), they just have not gone back to eating the right foods yet.--Aspro (talk) 22:34, 4 January 2017 (UTC)

OP is looking for studies on public perception. You appear to be giving unsourced medical information that is both controversial and may constitute medical advice. Please include references when posting on the reference desk, especially when OP clearly and unambigiously asks for references. SemanticMantis (talk) 00:54, 5 January 2017 (UTC)