The Rat Race

Here is a gem of a paper I found, "Chronic Social Stress in a Changing Dietary Environment."

The authors hypothesized that modern living, with its many chronic social stresses (unlike hunter-gatherer living which we are designed for), alters weight regulation and food choices.  The authors actually set up a rat environment that was supposed to simulate our modern society.  The low-status rats became predisposed to weight gain and towards high-fat food choices.

It's great to see science addressing this issue.  Who wouldn't think that packing people into dense housing and putting them under ridiculous work hierarchies wouldn't affect their heath?