The observation that the incidence of obesity has greatly increased over a few decades is unlikely to be due to
A) some innate aberration of metabolism.
B) increased exercise awareness of our citizens.
C) rapid changes in the gene pool.
D) smaller portions provided by fast-food restaurants.
E) the fact that we require fewer calories as we get older.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rapid changes in the gene pool would require evolutionary pressures to change the frequency of certain genes related to metabolism or appetite, which is unlikely to occur over the span of a few decades. The other options are more plausible explanations for the increase in obesity rates.

The Observation That the Incidence of Obesity Has Greatly Increased