Serpico, Davide and Borghini, Andrea (2020) From Obesity to Energy Metabolism: Ontological Perspectives on the Metrics of Human Bodies. Topoi. ISSN 1572-8749
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Serpico & Borghini 2020 - Topoi_Pre-print.pdf - Accepted Version Download (736kB) | Preview |
Abstract
In this paper, we aim at rethinking the concept of obesity in a way that better captures the connection between underlying medical aspects, on the one hand, and an individual’s developmental history, on the other. Our proposal rests on the idea that obesity is not to be understood as a phenotypic trait or character; rather, obesity represents one of the many possible states of a more complex phenotypic trait that we call ‘energy metabolism.’ We argue that this apparently simple conceptual shift can help solve important theoretical misconceptions regarding the genetics, epigenetics, and development of obesity. In addition, we show that our proposal can be fruitfully paired with the concept of developmental channeling of a trait, which connects to the study of the plasticity and canalization of complex traits. Finally, we discuss the potential impact of our approach on the assessment, treatment, and social narratives of obesity.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | |||||||||
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| Keywords: | Obesity; Genetics of obesity; Epigenetics of obesity; Definition of obesity; Developmental canalization; Obesity and public health | |||||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology > Developmental Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics General Issues > Ethical Issues Specific Sciences > Medicine > Health and Disease Specific Sciences > Medicine |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Davide Serpico | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 29 Sep 2020 13:32 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 29 Sep 2020 13:32 | |||||||||
| Item ID: | 18173 | |||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Topoi | |||||||||
| Publisher: | Spirnger | |||||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-020-09722-1 | |||||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Biology > Developmental Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics General Issues > Ethical Issues Specific Sciences > Medicine > Health and Disease Specific Sciences > Medicine |
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| Date: | September 2020 | |||||||||
| ISSN: | 1572-8749 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18173 |
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