Why send latest Mars Rovers?

Earl Colby Pottinger wrote:

Many americans starve each year. They suffer from anorexia. Most do not
create headlines when they die.

Anorexia is distressingly common in the elderly, btw.


But that was from thier own choice of actions. Not because they were taxed
to the point of not being able to feed themselves. Also with the elderly it
most often is because they choose the wrong foods or don't know where to go
to get help if they are low income.

This has been a tangent, but your statements here really aren'y true. Anorexia
is a neurohemical disorder. It's not a conscious choice on anyone's part.
These victims literally cannot force themselves to eat enough -- the underlying brain
circuitry that controls satiation and disgust won't let them. This is no
more a choice than (say) Alzheimer's disease.

Politically-induced starvation is, of course, a different category entirely, but
the claim being addressed was that "a person truly starves to death in the USA
or Canada it is considered a major news story." This claim was not qualified
so as to exclude anorexia.

Paul

"Paul F. Dietz" wrote in message ...
This has been a tangent, but your statements here really aren'y
true. Anorexia is a neurohemical disorder. It's not a conscious
choice on anyone's part. These victims literally cannot force
themselves to eat enough -- the underlying brain circuitry that
controls satiation and disgust won't let them. This is no more
a choice than (say) Alzheimer's disease.

I'd disagree, and the fact that people can successfully
battle anorexia is proof that your analogy is not apt.
The neurochemical disorders in anorexics brains do not
force them to do things they create urges. They do
have a choice, it's just heavily biased toward not
eating. This is not at all the same as Alzheimer's
disease. It is far more akin to, say, alcoholism,
cocaine addiction, clinical depression, or OCD. Also,
not all anorexia is due to a neurochemical disorder.

Christopher M. Jones wrote:

I'd disagree, and the fact that people can successfully
battle anorexia is proof that your analogy is not apt.
The neurochemical disorders in anorexics brains do not
force them to do things they create urges. They do
have a choice, it's just heavily biased toward not
eating. This is not at all the same as Alzheimer's
disease. It is far more akin to, say, alcoholism,
cocaine addiction, clinical depression, or OCD. Also,
not all anorexia is due to a neurochemical disorder.

It's similar in the sense that it's caused by an underlying
physical condition, not a moral failing. The difference
is one of degree, not of kind.

Paul