肥胖是现代化的产物，药物能否解决根源？

蒋子慧

Paul Ford， a technology journalist， wrote last year about how a drug that regulated satiety （满足）had changed him. “I have been the living embodiment（具象化） of the deadly sin of gluttony（暴食）， judged as greedy and weak since I was 10 years old – and now the sin is washed away.” The drug， Mounjaro， offered a rebirth without a new ethical outlook.

This might be attractive to those making new year resolutions that promise improvements in their lives. Weight-loss drugs reveal that obesity is not a deep-seated aspect of character but something more contingent. Obesity is made by modernity， that is lack of exercise and faster life style， not just poor choices. Some are due to genetic factors， but this is not the main reason.

Carrying too much weight causes a host of health problems. The novel treatments raise questions about the type of society we want.

The drugs are also not cheap. Healthcare analyst Airfinity says it would cost $1.1m to prevent “one heart attack， stroke， or cardiovascular death” using the weight-loss treatment Wegovy.

More than 70 other obesity treatments are in development， suggesting that costs may drop. Perhaps thats why the UK governments anti-obesity measures keep being put off. The trouble is the limited supply.

Society privileges unreasonable definitions of attractiveness. Celebrities， billionaires and even world leaders prize thinness. Its a recipe for anxiety. Losing weight is healthy， but not if the message reinforces body-image insecurities. Better relationships with our bodies are desperately needed.

The new treatments work by mimicking（模仿） naturally occurring hormones to lower blood sugar， reduce cravings， and produce a faster sense of fullness. They might also be transformative in treating many other conditions. But the path from opportunity to cure is a long one. The drugs side-effects include nausea（恶心，反胃）and vomiting（呕吐）. Then theres the risk of regaining weight once off the treatments. Some patients compare the drugs to an opiate（麻醉剂） addiction.

About 10% of the world starves， while a similar fraction of humanity is obese. New advances in science mean things will shift. Humanity should ensure that the changes wrought by technology produce gains for a far greater number than is the case today.

（材料来自The Guardian，有删改）

1. What causes people to become excessively obese in modern society， according to the article？

A. Poor choices of food and lifestyle.

B. The increasingly fast pace of life and peoples lack of exercise.

C. The greedy for food and binge eating.

D. Most cases of obesity are caused by genetic factors.

2. Why has the UK governments anti- obesity measures been delayed？

A. Because the UK government deliberately delayed anti-obesity measures.

B. Because the cost of making weight loss drugs is getting lower and lower.

C. Because there are over 70 weight loss drugs under development.

D. Because the governments supply and funding chain is sufficient.

3.  How does the new treatment affect peoples body？

A. Make people drowsy by using anesthetics.

B. Reduce appetite by lowering blood sugar.

C. Weight loss through the use of emetic therapy.

D. Stimulation by increasing or decreasing hormones.

4.Which column of a newspaper is the text probably taken from？

A. Health. B. Culture. C. Economy. D. Education.

1. B。解析：细节理解题。材料第二段第三、第四句提到“肥胖是由现代性造成的，即缺乏锻炼和更快的生活方式，而不仅仅是糟糕的选择。有些是由于遗传因素，但这不是主要原因”，由此可知，B选项“较快的生活节奏和缺乏锻炼”是正确的，故选B。

2. C。解析：推理判断题。材料第五段提到“70多种其他肥胖治疗方法正在开发中，这表明成本可能会下降。也许这就是为什么英国政府的反肥胖措施一直被推迟的原因。问题是供应有限。”由此可知C选项与题干相符，故选C。

3. B。解析：细节理解题。材料倒数第二段第一、第二句提到“新的治疗方法通过模仿天然存在的荷尔蒙可以降低血糖，减少食欲，并产生更快的饱腹感。它们在治疗许多其他疾病方面也可能具有变革性”，由此可知B选项与题干相符，故选B。

4. A。解析：主旨大意题。文章大部分内容是讲述药物能否对肥胖进行根源上的解决，由此可知这篇文章的题材属于健康生活类。故选A。