[siddarthd2919]

Correlation != Causation. The obesity issue has many factors (Quality of food; sedentary lifestyle changes overtime etc), the access to weighing scales actually helped with reality checks for most people.

[pedalpete]

I'm in no way suggesting that scales MADE us overweight. Is that what you're correlation != causation comment is meant to say?

I think you're making the point for me. The "reality checks" haven't helped people to improve their health.

Data != Action.

[malshe]

But you need a counterfactual to that claim, isn't it? If people did not use weighing scales then maybe they would be even more unhealthy.

[pedalpete]

No. If we needed a counterfactual claim for everything, you could also claim that maybe scales made people fat, because we weren't fat before we had scales....

And I'm sure some will take that argument. I'm not running a debate club.