The intersection of Biology and Informatics. Standing at the site of this discipline—sophisticated even in name—I often fall into the illusion of being a movie protagonist hacking the secrets of life through digital means. However, behind the brilliant protein structures and genomic maps on my monitor, there stands a cold, towering wall that every individual…

At one time, a “thin body” was an object of intense envy. It symbolized liberation from poverty and served as a badge of self-discipline. However, now that weight-loss drugs have been popularized and “thinness via a single injection” has become common in the market, the allure of the thin body is rapidly fading. In the…

The “cultural capital” spoken of by Pierre Bourdieu is not something that can simply be bought with money. It refers to tastes and abilities that have been embodied and transformed into an individual’s Habitus. Today, as weight-loss drugs become popularized, a slender body is gradually being relegated to a “purchasable commodity.” In such times, the…

It is self-evident that exercise and diet management are high-value pursuits. They symbolize patience, moderation, and a high degree of self-control. Curiously, however, it is those with the most abundant resources who are the first to board the shortcut of weight-loss drugs. The reason they cling to medication—even at the cost of abandoning their biological…

The magical numbers offered by weight-loss drugs are seductive, but from a biological perspective, looking beneath the surface reveals something closer to the “outsourcing of bodily functions.” In contrast, a conventional diet and exercise regimen is the “renovation of a self-sustaining power plant”—a process of redesigning and strengthening the body’s internal systems. The true utility…