Foraging, Food Intake and Obesity

Obesity is something that we hear about continually in the media, and most of us know what it is and think about it daily.

Some scientists consider obesity a disease, while some don't. There are two things that everyone can agree on. First, that obesity is increasing. Secondly, obesity is a phenomenon we see in humans but not wild animals. In fact it would be impossible for most wild animals to become obese.

There are many negative consequences for an animal that becomes obese in the wild- a reduction in escape speed and difficulties with breeding and hiding. It is not because wild animals don't have the genes or DNA to become obese. For example, Volcano mice (Neotomodon alstoni) are normally lean in the wild but when brought into the lab and fed standard mouse chow about 50 percent of the mice develop obesity. The other 50 percent do not. This suggests that there is something about living in the wild that reduces the likelihood of obesity.