There is definitely a relation between obesity and morbidity, but I firmly believe that obesity is merely another symptom of underlying factors that lead to health problems.

Case in point, an obese person who starts lc'ing and drops their cardiac risk factors and blood sugars drastically. Only a small amount of weight may be lost, but not equally in proportion to the staggering drop in risk factors.

For example, my cardiac risk profile dropped to the very bottom, but I am still technically 30 lbs overweight.

So it's not carrying the weight that is the issue, but what prompted the weight gain to begin with. I think we can universally agree that the following factors affect obesity:

1) activity level
2) genetic predisposition / metabolism / body type
3) type, quantity, quality, frequency of intake calories (food consumption)
4) stress levels & coping mechanisms
5) quantity of sleep
6) sex of person, related hormone levels

All these factors do have independent effects on the human body and are associated with risks of different specific diseases, not only related to obesity, but certainly obesity might be symptomatic to all of these things and thus a common factor.

It is my belief, therefore, that these 6 factors together in a negative fashion could result in both morbidity and obesity.

For example:

A non exerciser
who has diabetes commonly in their family
who eats a diet high in processed carbohydrates and potentially trans fats
who skips breakfast but eats very large meals at 9 pm
who has a very stressful job and marital tension at home
who smokes to alleviate stress and control eating, who eats for comfort
who does not sleep enough
who is a woman going through menopause

Is more than likely going to be an obese person with a very high risk for morbidity. The obesity is merely one side effect of these factors.

Conversely:

A person who regularly exercises
who does not have a family history of heart disease or health problems
who eats a balanced diet of whole foods
who eats regularly throughout the day in normal portions
who does not have a stressful job or marital tension
who does not smoke or eat for comfort but instead focuses on exercise, art, music, or other hobbies for stress relief
who sleeps at least 8 hours per night
who is a young man

Is more than likely not going to be an obese person and probably has a very low risk for morbidity.

With regards to the genetic factors involved in obesity, I submit that one of the problems with a universal diet is that there are so many different body types with different nutritional needs. In parts of the world where diet, culture, and race is common, you will tend to see more people with similar physical traits... for example Northern Europeans tend to be paler and taller, whereas Mediterraneans are shorter and darker. The basic nutritional needs and dietary and physical habits of people of the same racial composition who have had a similar culture for thousands of years is more likely to be the same than that of our modern world where there is a lot more mix of genetic traits and races, as well as a huge variety of cultures and eating habits.

What is particularly interesting about this is that the US which is currently struggling with the highest rates of obesity in the industrial world is also one of the most racially, genetically, and culturally diverse places in the world.

In fact "culture" changes in this country take place often in less than a decade, not giving bodies time enough to adapt to the constant stressors of changing family dynamics, changing roles for men and women, changing valuation type and stress of career paths (increasingly sedentary), transportation (a car has become another limb), changing time for meals (stay at home cooking?), and a serious lack of sleep.

The type of metabolic changes that assist us to maintain healthy bodies without changing behaviors take thousands of years, not a handful, and yet we expect our bodies to keep up with the lure of everchanging proclamations of a definition of "health" or what is good and fast to eat and what consitutes quality of life. We have become dependent on medication because we refuse to change our lifestyle and there is no physical genetic evolution that is fast enough to help us out.

In light of this trying to come up with dietary and lifestyle recommendations that suit everyone is particularly challenging and honestly should be extremely individual.