--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We used to be calorie poor and now the…" description: "\"We used to be calorie poor and now the problem is obesity. We used to be data poor, now the problem is data obesity.\" — Hal Varian" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e0/hal-varian-44819_calories_we-used-to-be-calorie-poor-and-now-the-p_271941.png" --- # We used to be calorie poor and now the problem is obesity… ![“We used to be calorie poor and now the problem is obesity. We used to be data poor, now the problem is data obesity.” quote by Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e0/hal-varian-44819_calories_we-used-to-be-calorie-poor-and-now-the-p_271941.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e0/hal-varian-44819_calories_we-used-to-be-calorie-poor-and-now-the-p_271941.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e0/hal-varian-44819_calories_we-used-to-be-calorie-poor-and-now-the-p_271941.png) > “We used to be calorie poor and now the problem is obesity. We used to be data poor, now the problem is data obesity.” [Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society shifted from scarcity of calories and data to excess, creating new health and information challenges. **In simple terms:** We moved from scarcity to overload in food and data. Key Takeaway Address excess in diet and data. Themes health data society Mood analytical concerned Type analytical policy When to use this quote - Public health policy - data governance - personal nutrition plans Key Concepts obesity information overload resource management Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance data use with privacy? - What policies reduce both calorie and data excess? A Different Perspective Solutions may require trade‑offs between consumption and privacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Obesity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obesity/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) ## Related quotes > [Everything that has to do with food is sensuous. In the United States, however, we are eating all the time. We have a problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/everything-that-has-to-do-with-food-is-sensuous-in-the-united-states/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [I really do believe that America has this weight problem - obesity issues - and we have all these diseases that we get -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/i-really-do-believe-that-america-has-this-weight-problem-obesity/) [John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/) > [I know the problem of obesity. I got to tell you, I think that's tepid. I just don't think the bully pulpit is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-baucus/i-know-the-problem-of-obesity-i-got-to-tell-you-i-think-that-s-tepid/) [Max Baucus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-baucus/) > [The problem is, obesity runs in our family. No, the problem is no-one runs in your family...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-problem-is-obesity-runs-in-our-family-no-the-problem-is-no-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am constantly working out-circuit training, jumping rope, and stair-stepping, and sticking to 1200 calories a day. It can't be something that you're doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-am-constantly-working-out-circuit-training-jumping-rope-and-stair/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [Not eating meat really keeps me trim…meat, and what's usually served with it, is a big calorie packer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/not-eating-meat-really-keeps-me-trim-meat-and-what-s-usually-served/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [At my heaviest, I was 5'8" and 175 pounds. I ate well, but in too large quantities, and I rarely made a concerted effort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-oz/at-my-heaviest-i-was-5-8-and-175-pounds-i-ate-well-but-in-too-large/) [Daphne Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-oz/) > [No one asks the cow or the chicken where it gets its protein. I eat about 4,000 or 5,000 calories a day, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-salley/no-one-asks-the-cow-or-the-chicken-where-it-gets-its-protein-i-eat/) [John Salley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-salley/) > [I use a lot of fresh citrus, garlic, and fresh herbs when cooking to cut down on fat and sodium but punch up flavor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-cora/i-use-a-lot-of-fresh-citrus-garlic-and-fresh-herbs-when-cooking-to/) [Cat Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-cora/) > [So much of the world's suffering results from the sinful action or inaction of ourselves and others. For example, people look at a famine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strobel/so-much-of-the-world-s-suffering-results-from-the-sinful-action-or/) [Lee Strobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strobel/) > [- "Women should all move to Amazonia, or at least vacation there four times a year." - "Amazonia?" - "It's the girl world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/women-should-all-move-to-amazonia-or-at-least-vacation-there-four/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Don't compare yourself with someone else's version of happy or thin. Accepting yourself burns the most calories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-rhea/don-t-compare-yourself-with-someone-else-s-version-of-happy-or-thin/) [Caroline Rhea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-rhea/) > [Well the real concept of basic needs if you cut it right down are simply the physical needs that are unavoidable for all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/well-the-real-concept-of-basic-needs-if-you-cut-it-right-down-are/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [I add a lot of citrus to my food and I think that flavors it. And, to me, that what makes it healthier, lower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-cora/i-add-a-lot-of-citrus-to-my-food-and-i-think-that-flavors-it-and-to/) [Cat Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-cora/) > [A lifetime of low calories has come naturally to the longest-lived people in the world... in the Japanese archipelago of Okinawa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/a-lifetime-of-low-calories-has-come-naturally-to-the-longest-lived/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) ## More by Hal Varian > [If a train stops at a train station, what do you think happens at a work station?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-varian/if-a-train-stops-at-a-train-station-what-do-you-think-happens-at-a/) [Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) > [I keep saying that the sexy job in the next 10 years will be statisticians, and I'm not kidding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-varian/i-keep-saying-that-the-sexy-job-in-the-next-10-years-will-be/) [Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) > [Imagine that the blackboard is an N-dimensional manifold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-varian/imagine-that-the-blackboard-is-an-n-dimensional-manifold/) [Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) > [How unhappy are you that your dishwasher has replaced washing dishes by hand, your washing machine has displaced washing clothes by hand or your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-varian/how-unhappy-are-you-that-your-dishwasher-has-replaced-washing-dishes/) [Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) > [Brynjolfsson and McAfee take us on a whirlwind tour of innovators and innovations around the world. But this isn't just casual sightseeing. Along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-varian/brynjolfsson-and-mcafee-take-us-on-a-whirlwind-tour-of-innovators-and/) [Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) > [I keep saying the sexy job in the next ten years will be statisticians. People think I'm joking, but who would've guessed that computer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-varian/i-keep-saying-the-sexy-job-in-the-next-ten-years-will-be/) [Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) > [It isn't that information is exploding, but accessibility is. There's just about as much information this year as there was last year; it's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-varian/it-isn-t-that-information-is-exploding-but-accessibility-is-there-s/) [Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) > [Google will make us more informed. The smartest person in the world could well be behind a plow in China or India. Providing universal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-varian/google-will-make-us-more-informed-the-smartest-person-in-the-world/) [Hal Varian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) [Explore all 9 Hal Varian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-varian/) ## More Calories quotes > [A lifetime of low calories has come naturally to the longest-lived people in the world... in the Japanese archipelago of Okinawa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/a-lifetime-of-low-calories-has-come-naturally-to-the-longest-lived/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [I add a lot of citrus to my food and I think that flavors it. And, to me, that what makes it healthier, lower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-cora/i-add-a-lot-of-citrus-to-my-food-and-i-think-that-flavors-it-and-to/) [Cat Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-cora/) > [Well the real concept of basic needs if you cut it right down are simply the physical needs that are unavoidable for all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/well-the-real-concept-of-basic-needs-if-you-cut-it-right-down-are/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Don't compare yourself with someone else's version of happy or thin. Accepting yourself burns the most calories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-rhea/don-t-compare-yourself-with-someone-else-s-version-of-happy-or-thin/) [Caroline Rhea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-rhea/) > [- "Women should all move to Amazonia, or at least vacation there four times a year." - "Amazonia?" - "It's the girl world in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/women-should-all-move-to-amazonia-or-at-least-vacation-there-four/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [So much of the world's suffering results from the sinful action or inaction of ourselves and others. For example, people look at a famine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strobel/so-much-of-the-world-s-suffering-results-from-the-sinful-action-or/) [Lee Strobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strobel/) > [I use a lot of fresh citrus, garlic, and fresh herbs when cooking to cut down on fat and sodium but punch up flavor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-cora/i-use-a-lot-of-fresh-citrus-garlic-and-fresh-herbs-when-cooking-to/) [Cat Cora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-cora/) > [No one asks the cow or the chicken where it gets its protein. I eat about 4,000 or 5,000 calories a day, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-salley/no-one-asks-the-cow-or-the-chicken-where-it-gets-its-protein-i-eat/) [John Salley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-salley/) > [At my heaviest, I was 5'8" and 175 pounds. I ate well, but in too large quantities, and I rarely made a concerted effort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-oz/at-my-heaviest-i-was-5-8-and-175-pounds-i-ate-well-but-in-too-large/) [Daphne Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-oz/) > [Not eating meat really keeps me trim…meat, and what's usually served with it, is a big calorie packer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/not-eating-meat-really-keeps-me-trim-meat-and-what-s-usually-served/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [I am constantly working out-circuit training, jumping rope, and stair-stepping, and sticking to 1200 calories a day. It can't be something that you're doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-am-constantly-working-out-circuit-training-jumping-rope-and-stair/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [“All worries are less with wine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/all-worries-are-less-with-wine/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [The reason fiber helps us control our weight is that it fills the belly yet yields few calories since fiber is, for the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-freston/the-reason-fiber-helps-us-control-our-weight-is-that-it-fills-the/) [Kathy Freston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-freston/) > [Just as modern man consumes both too many calories and calories of no nutritional value, information workers eat data both in excess and from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/just-as-modern-man-consumes-both-too-many-calories-and-calories-of-no/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [“For chess grand masters, the process of thinking during a match can "cost" up to 7000 calories a day”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-lotto/for-chess-grand-masters-the-process-of-thinking-during-a-match-can/) [Beau Lotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-lotto/) Browse all 322 Calories quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We used to be calorie poor and now the problem is obesity. 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