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I had a Labrador Retriever that lived to eat. You had to measure out her food for the day - you couldn't just leave a bowl full of food out and expect her to eat what she needed. And when she did eat, an entire bowl of dry food was inhaled in less than a minute!

One time, she got into her 40 lb bag of dog food when we weren't home (after that we stored it in a plastic bin). She must have eaten about 10 lbs of food. I came home, not knowing what she had got into, and noticed she was panting really heavy and that she was literally bulging at the sides to the point where her fur was standing on end. I thought there was something medically wrong with her and took her to the vet. An x-ray and $80 later, the vet asked me "did she just have a very large meal?"

So... what was that you were saying about animals feeding instinctively for survival? LOL

Animals do not simply eat enough for survival and then stop. Animals, from humans all the way down, will eat as much as is available. In the wild, peak hunting seasons do not last long enough nor are they abundant enough that hunting animals can get fat or stay that way for long. Among modern industrialized humans and our domestic pets, the peak hunting season never ends.

Humans have striven since the dawn of their existence to live in the world we have created -- a world where food is plentiful, where people live long productive lives, and where physical security is almost guaranteed. You're alarmed by this?!? I consider myself lucky to live in Paradise on Earth.

If a couple of generations of obesity is the price our species pays to learn how to balance our old biological desires and our new comfortable needs, I think that's a bargain. We must eat to live, but why shouldn't we occasionally enjoy the hard fought benefit of living to eat?

"I disagree with the notion that plentiful food has anything to do with longevity. The fewer calories a person consumes over their lifetime, the higher the probability that they will live a longer life"

This most certainly needs to be qualified. Obviously the quality of the food consumed is also a criterion. With abundance and plentiful food comes choice as well, and being able to choose the quality of calories. That must have something to do with longevity. You don't live long or well on, as an example ,just white rice.
Those who don't have choices or abundance would disagree with you.

Many caloric restriction trials on animals have shown significantly increased lifespans. The literature is abundant.

re: wild animals, I would add that overweight animals would not be as fit, and suffer increased predation. Probable evolutionary feedback as well.

Really enjoyed this conversation..and has definitely given me something to think out about. Thanks for sharing your opinions!!!