If there were only one type of food available would there be obese people?

Yes, since people metabolisms and allergy issues are different. (As well as their medication rituals to mention a few points. I hardly think all people who carry weight ‘stuff themselves’. That is a generalization).

In order for this premise to work, you would have to wipe out all of the animals and plants on the planet (particularly fruits, vegetables, and grains.) How could the earth sustain itself, let alone the human race, without those resources? As long as flora and fauna flourish, people will still have access to other food goods—they just might not be readily available at markets.

You also need exercise alongside nutrients in order to be healthy. So there would still be plenty of unhealthy people on the planet. Why focus on the obese?

@muppetish Why focus on the obese?
In spite of pointing out that some obese people can’t help being obese because of some medical problem, most cases you can point to simple excess; taking in more calories then you can burn off. If the sight of food, the smell or taste can trigger eating not when it is really necessary but out of want or desire, having food that doesn’t serve those triggers may prevent some eating to excess because there would not be any perceptible enjoyment to the eating as savoring the taste, smells, or color. A skinny unhealthy person would be unhealthy off the food itself, or not eating enough food, not because they had too much food, or excess of food they did not need to stay alive and healthy.

Overeating is not always due to the availability of food or even how the food tastes. Some people can fall into depressions where they will eat. Some will eat as punishment, or escape. I don’t think the blandness of these theoretical bars would necessarily stop this from occurring. It may not stop obesity to the degree that we sit it now, but I doubt it will stop overeating period.

Nope.

Of course. As someone else said, we metabolise differently. Some more efficiently than others.

We also have different genes. Meaning that we’re the products of our lineage and their bodies and habits and all of that.

I find I eat more when I’m in a financial bind. Like I’m subconsciously fattening up for winter. Those times, it doesn’t really matter what I’m eating, as I’m not enjoying it anyway.

If people are overeating because they are not satisfied by what they eat, then I don’t see your gray bars helping.

My dog always got the same food every day. If we didn’t measure it out, she’d have gotten fat anyway.

Excellent points made above.

To add to it this gray nutrition bar would no doubt be lacking in nutrition or absorbality. What about allergies and certain people needing more of one nutrient then the other.

Remember how sketchy vitamins are because of absorbality issues. Much of the nutrients don’t even begin to get broken down.

@elbanditoroso We also have different genes. Meaning that we’re the products of our lineage and their bodies and habits and all of that.
You are saying that people would eat, or over eat, anything even if it had no taste or smell to peak their appetite or enhance their enjoyment, or are you saying something else?

@ccrow If people are overeating because they are not satisfied by what they eat, then I don’t see your gray bars helping.
I have observed quite the opposite, people love food, and their favorites, so much they will eat it even when they are not hungry or eat it to excess; such as eating a dozen and change hot wings, because it is their favorite, even though they had a full mean 40 minutes ago. If the hot wings had no taste, or did not have a smell good or bad, would a person still feel compelled to eat a dozen + anyway? Or because of the taste, smell, and look of them make a person want them even after they fully ate a short time before?

@snowberry My dog always got the same food every day.
A dog can’t shop and cook, so a domesticated dog is at the mercy of its master. If a dog could cook or go hunting you believe it would choose to have the same type of Gravy Train, Alpo, etc all the days of its life?

@Unbroken To add to it this gray nutrition bar would no doubt be lacking in nutrition or absorbality.
“but gave you everything you needed nutritionally while avoiding all the stuff nutritionist say one should not eat”. part of the question you may have missed. The food would be scientifically as nutritionally sound as it could be made.

What about allergies and certain people needing more of one nutrient then the other.
They could certainly remove harmful items or ingredients and provide supplements for those who for some reason can’t get enough nutrients without help.

Are the gray bars served by women in mini skirts? That would make all the difference.

I’d ad some herbal essence to those gray bars and then, everyone would be raiding bee hives and climbing trees to get the fruit at the top. Everyone would be happy, healthy, because they worked hard at foraging and getting the munchies would kick back a big dividend in extra energy expended. Done. lol

Then I guess it wouldn’t be the same gray bar for everyone.

And what would happen to the food industry. A monopoly and pur so many people out of jobs. From fast food to advertisers to agri grocery stores, cooks waitresses factories shut down there would be no food court in the mall open markets and bakeries and a whole history of food would be lost etc.

Then there would be a war on food. And people would stop eating and die because there is no joy in it. What about alcohol. You never want to drink again? Lots of calories per drinks there would be riots!
People thought MRes and astronaut food was bad.