Obesity in the Star Trek Universe?
- Thread starter Newspaper Taxi
- Start date
Overweight Klingons seem perfectly reasonable to me. I see them in the Tyler Durden fitness plan. Self improvement might not be that important, kind of like overweight bikers I know who care not about their weight as they know they can beat the crap out of people.
With the Ferengi... the fatter the better with the whole greed thing. More money can buy you more extravogent things, such as all the tastiest and most fattening food. Why would they care about abs when their wallets do all the flirting for them?
Starfleet... well I'd assume most would have to be physically fit. But then I've been told that fitness in the army isn't that important or monitored once you're in.
^I'm pretty sure you still have to meet some standfard of fitness, but, yeah, I'd assume it's not as strict as it is with new recruits. There might be an age based system as well. I doubt they'd expect a 55 year old Major General to run the same 2 miles in x amount of minutes that they'd expect a Private First Class to do. I'd imagine it's the same in Starfleet. As Riker gets older, and a bit more hefty, I doubt he'd need to pass the same physical requirements as he did when he was a newly minted ensign. I'd imagine that once you get into a command position, and have proven your worth, they ease off a bit.
In all seriousness, though, why can't their transporter/replicator technology completely do away with any unwanted tissue, or insert desired tissue? I mean, facial reconstructive surgery is so cheap and fast that it only takes a few hours (even sex reassignment surgery doesn't take much longer!). What possible justification could there be for that same technology having no application to obesity (or cancer or aging, for that matter)?
Scotty.
There were admirals in SF that were somewhat overweight.
Hayes and Ross come to mind for example.
Riker one of the more notable examples in the post TNG years ...
I'm sure there's more but I cannot recall right now.
In any event, I can imagine it would be easier to regulate your diet in the 24th century and replicate (or get your hands on) meals that satisfy certain cravings without adding to your weight in any notable capacity or just adds very little.
And given how there is no money and everything is free within the Federation for SF officers and citizens ... I can definitely imagine cosmetic surgery taking a minute portion of the time and being highly effective given the tech at their disposal.
Hayes and Ross come to mind for example.
Riker one of the more notable examples in the post TNG years ...
I'm sure there's more but I cannot recall right now.
In any event, I can imagine it would be easier to regulate your diet in the 24th century and replicate (or get your hands on) meals that satisfy certain cravings without adding to your weight in any notable capacity or just adds very little.
And given how there is no money and everything is free within the Federation for SF officers and citizens ... I can definitely imagine cosmetic surgery taking a minute portion of the time and being highly effective given the tech at their disposal.
Normally I would think that with all the advances in medicine and the ability to instantly replicate any fresh, healthy food you want obesity would be a thing of the past. But then I saw Nemesis. It must be quite the epidemic if even the androids are becoming fat-asses.
Was there not a TNG episode where Troi had to give the replicator computer the ok to make some sorta chocolate sunday or something? I think default programs on replicators pretty much have the low glycemic dishes as the standards.
As for Kirk and Scott....well....Kirk lost his son, his ship, half of Starfleet wants to see him go down in flames ( Janeway even said "men like Kirk would be kicked out of Starfleet today." ), The Klingons want his head on a spike, while Scotty's feeling like yesterday's paper and seeing his technology going off.....could see those two looking for some comfort food.
As for Kirk and Scott....well....Kirk lost his son, his ship, half of Starfleet wants to see him go down in flames ( Janeway even said "men like Kirk would be kicked out of Starfleet today." ), The Klingons want his head on a spike, while Scotty's feeling like yesterday's paper and seeing his technology going off.....could see those two looking for some comfort food.
I always assumed that the Ferangi were created out of the human body fat that got thrown away in the early 21st century.
I expect obesity is treated by psychological councellors in the Federation - i.e. usually its due to an underlying psychological problem like lack of confidence.
Also Starfleet seems to have fitness policies for recruits, which might explain the lack of on-screen examples.
Also Starfleet seems to have fitness policies for recruits, which might explain the lack of on-screen examples.
Romulans seem to be fittest aliens around, at least according to our standard.
Humans might have an option to remove fat, but choose not to do it for the same reason Picard chose to be bald, or for the same reason genetic engineering is prohibited. It's just not natural.
Humans might have an option to remove fat, but choose not to do it for the same reason Picard chose to be bald, or for the same reason genetic engineering is prohibited. It's just not natural.
For the most part, obesity stems from either not being healthy, heaving a genetic predisposition toward acquiring more then natural body fat or having some sort of affliction that influences the amount of fat on the body. Or am I forgetting something?
I'd expect all three sources to be easily corrected in Starfleet's time.
I'd expect all three sources to be easily corrected in Starfleet's time.
You're forgetting starships stopping by at a starDonalds 4 times per day to get massive amounts of greasy fries, extra large milksheak and soda, and galaxy-class woppers. During the night shift, they stop for Romulan ale.
If they managed to eliminate that, obesity levels would decrease dramiatically.
Yes, good point. Fortunately, Starfleet has counselors. I'd guess a whole host of mental disorders are not a problem.
Not only is there no obesity, but there are hardly creepy ugly people as well! I don't see many women with mustaches, for example, or with a big wart on their nose.
That would be the "California Syndrome" that struck earth in the late 22nd century, rendering all of its female inhabitants with the looks of a Sears catalogue underwear model.
"His ugliness was the stuff of legend. In an age of affordable beauty, there was something heraldic about his lack of it." William Gibson's Neuromancer.
There are cultures that find being 'big' more attractive than skinny, like the Eskimo tribes. I would think things like heart disease would be gone by the 24th century, whether you have fat on your bones or not. Perhaps they just don't care as much. Besides, when you're rubbing elbows will all sorts of wacky life forms, one's standards for attractiveness probably changes a bit. Leeta and Rom, Jadzia and that guy with the transparent skull...
There are cultures that find being 'big' more attractive than skinny, like the Eskimo tribes. I would think things like heart disease would be gone by the 24th century, whether you have fat on your bones or not. Perhaps they just don't care as much. Besides, when you're rubbing elbows will all sorts of wacky life forms, one's standards for attractiveness probably changes a bit. Leeta and Rom, Jadzia and that guy with the transparent skull...
Well, by that time, they probably perfected a leptin-like drug that prevents obesity. Also, they got rid of all the crappy food that's most responsible for obesity in America -- Twinkies, McDonald's Happy Meals, etc. I do recall only a handful of overweight characters in all the shows -- Harry Mudd, Cyrano Jones, Chancellor K'Empec, the fat Ferengi trader in Unification, the fat, four-armed female piano player in the same ep, and the Pakleds. So fat is still out there! -- RR
I Concur. Everyone forgot about Scotty. He was massive, just a little more so than Riker in the last episode of Enterprise.
