What do you think of when obesity comes to mind? People overeating? Poorly choosing what to eat? Not getting enough exercise? Poor gut health? An article recently published in The conversation Health and Medicine suggest that it may be as simple as salt and water. According to the author, a desert sand rat may hold important clues as to why not enough water combined with too much salt results in obesity. Could this be why so many diets have us drinking so much water? For those of us eating low-calorie meals that are pre-packaged for us, are they loaded with salt? Apparently, the rat during lean nutrition times will eat the stems of the Glasswort plant which supplies water through its succulent sap and supplies a low amount of carbohydrates which the mouse's body converts to Fructose. This helps the animal survive when water and food are scarce. When the rodent is brought into captivity and is given a diet with 50% carbohydrates which is a common diet for them, they rapidly develop diabetes and become obese. If the rodent in captivity is given fresh vegetables low in starchy carbohydrates, they remain lean. For more details on these findings, check out the article below Two surprising reasons behind the obesity epidemic: Too much salt, not enough water Published August 22, 2022 | Originally published on The Conversation Health & Medicine Scientific studies and media coverage are rife with warnings on how sugar, carbohydrates, saturated fat, and lack of exercise contribute to obesity. And tens of millions of Americans are still overweight or obese in large part because of the classic Western diet and lifestyle. As an educator, researcher, and professor of medicine, I have spent more than 20 years investigating the causes of obesity, as well as related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. Throughout my many years of studying obesity and related health conditions, I’ve observed that relatively little is said about two significant pieces of this very complex puzzle: lack of hydration and excessive salt intake. Both are known to contribute to obesity. Read more