Genes control weight

>I'm afraid a lot of people are going to read this, throw up
>their hands and say, "See? I told you I couldn't help being
>fat!" and just give up and give in to their bad eating habits
>thereby giving themselves permission to get even bigger.

Again to risk flaming- this is happening all over the place already. I did family practice for 6 years and saw it right before my very eyes. People used genetics as an excuse all of the time. Diabetics left and right assuming just cause mom or dad had it they would get it no matter what they did so they wouldn't change a thing to help themselves. Even after they were diagnosed they just accepted it as part of their destiny. I know we are not talking about diabetes her, but obesity and diabetes go hand in hand. I know not everyone deals this way, but a large portion of the patients I saw and treated did very little to help themselves. And believe you me, it was not for a lack of education, because I took the time to make sure they knew what to do.


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How many people who think it is a cop-out truly have a problem with weight. If you have not had to struggle with it all your life, than you cannot get how your body can get set at a certain weight and stay there despite all efforts. And if you manage to lose by getting totally obsessed, it does not stay. And this can be the same for the thin person trying to gain weight. I look just like my mother, exactly. My daughter is beginning to look like me, and is gaining at the same age I did. She is quite active, and actually eats fairly well for a 14 year old. Hopefully she will not start drinking like I did, which really made it much worse for me. Once I stopped drinking, the weight dropped, but never to what the charts say it should be. Yet I have a resting heart rate of 53, am strong, flexible, but my body likes extra weight. Right now I am fighting to be in a size 10, at 5-4. At one time I got down to size 6, weighing 140, and everyone said I looked sick.

Some people just need to carry extra weight. That is what their body's want. To tell me this is a cop-out, well bah on you. Live in my shoes for 45 years, and you will change your tune.
 
Nancy, again, I think you make some very excellent points. And I agree this book will help some people just be more comfortable with themselves. That is so important. But I also think that the majority of the population will use it as an excuse. I guess I am being very pessimistic, but this is what my experience has told me time and time again. Even now, working in dermatology I still see those issues in patients.

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Dorothy, there are many people who struggle with wt from the get go. Those are the people who truly are IMO genetically destined to have a very difficult time as you have had. I guess I am referring more to the people- adults and children who start out normal wt and then as the years go on pack on more and more pounds over the years. Esp adults who never had a wt problem to begin with. This is not genetics it is lifestyle. That being said, of course there are other factors that play into some like thyroid disorders etc. I don't think anyone here will argue with your struggle.

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I don't see any flaming here at all. I guess what I think is that people who don't care and want to find excuses will always find them. But people like Dorothy and my husband can really be helped by this kind of information. Personally, I've met a lot more people like Dorothy than like the people Catherine is describing.

There is a secretary in my office who goes to the gym every single night of her life, for example. She studies nutritional magazines, and always has a stock pile of fruit in the refrigerator. She runs marathons. She's healthy, but big. Sometimes she looks at me and says "you must never eat" and she looks so sad and frustrated. She doesn't believe me when I say that I really don't exercise enough and that I eat pretty much whatever I want to. My heart goes out to her, and I've taken to complimenting her a lot. She REALLY deserves it. She is NOT obese like the rest of her family and she is doing fabulously, but she gets frustrated a lot. If she could just give herself more credit for what she's accomplished, instead of trying to be perfect, she would be much better off and much happier. Maybe I'll buy her the book. :D
 
Thanks guys, it is just so often when the subject turns to overweight and obesity, there is such a propensity to always blame the person, and there are some big factors(no pun intended) that prevent people from losing weight. I see people who are greatly overweight eating the bad food everyday. One woman in my office has McDonalds for breakfast and McDonalds for lunch and who knows what for supper. But this same person honestly tried for years various plans to lose, and she included exercise, and could not make it budge. I think what she is doing now is completely giving up, which will not help her, but I totally understand. I am just too stubborn to give up and I keep trying. But it is discouraging to be always told, well you just must eat too much when I eat healthier and less than many, many thin people.
 
>I do believe that genetics plays a role in our wt. But it is
>only ONE factor. Environment and lifestyle also play a role.

I think that, as in many chronic diseases Americans are suffering from nowdays, genetics may load the gun to some degree (make one more subsceptible), but lifestyle, including diet, pulls the trigger. I don't think we can look at our current population to really judge how much obesity/overweight is due to genetics. Instead, we have to go back to around 1950, when our diets were different, and see what percentage of people were obese/overweight in those days.

There is definitely a genetic variable involved in some cases of obesity, but, except for some possible anomalies that may make up 5% of the population, if the environment doesn't promote expression of the tendency, it will never occur.

A PBS show hosted by Alan Alda once treated the topic of diet and obesity, and they discussed one American Indian tribe in which the vast majority of people are currently obese and diabetic. But they were never this way before adopting a more 'modern' diet. It's the addition of processed foods and the like to their diets that brought out this tendency.

Genetics doesn't change in the space of hundreds or even thousands of years, so the increase in obesity we've seen since in the last 50 years cannot all be genetic. Food choices and environment do change in that amount of time.

Unfortunately, I think there are many people who tend to be overweight or even obese if they follow the SAD (the apt acronym for 'Standard American Diet'). And since it is 'standard' (as in, accepted as the norm by many people), we are seeing the results of it every day.

I do believe that not everyone is genetically wired to be the same size, and that there are various 'sizes' of healthy, from a bit on the skinny side to a bit overweight. But it seems quite unnatural for us to be programmed to be grossly obese or very unhealthfully fat. Of course, this can come down to a primitive body--designed to run on natural foods--encountering modern foods---many of which are calorie dense, nutrient poor...and often not even something the body can recognize as 'food' (such as HFCS or trans fats).
 
<Diabetics left and right assuming just cause mom or dad had it they would get it no matter what they did so they wouldn't change a thing to help themselves. Even after they were diagnosed they just accepted it as part of their destiny.>

Actually, as a bit of a counter point, my mom is a diabetic. She was overall a healthy eater and fairly active (she was a cook who hustled around the kitchen all day for 20+ years). Type II is largely blamed on lifestyle rather than considering the role of genetics (her father was a diabetic as well). I eat a healthy diet, am described by friends as "skinny", and I am very active between workouts, hiking, and housework yet I fear that I too will be diabetic although I refuse to resign myself to that fate. The doctors I have spoken with seem to subscribe to this philosophy of resigning oneself to fate rather than seriously discussing ways to dodge the diabetes bullet. or maybe I'm just a bit too paranoid.....

And I think some people might read this book and think "Gee, I am predisposed to diabetes. Perhaps I shall will skip the McDumpster's Drive-thru today." I know I will!
 
hey runnergirl i totaly agree. i have a heavy parent and a skinny parent but my father who is the skinny parent used to be extremely heavy. it was after his quadruple bi-pass that he realized that he needed to change his eating and exercise habits. now my dad is extremely fit for a 55 year old. both my brother and i followed suit and maintain a healthy weight and eat healthy and yet my sister and my mother are both overweight and eat horribly and are extremely sedentary. so there you go, . . . it's your decisions and not your genes.
 
Dorothy, I didn't mean to say it was a cop out. Hey there are parts of my body that will never look like others that I envy. I have always wanted thin thighs. Not gonna happen. My thighs will always be bigger. They are not fat just muscular. I have accepted this and do the best I can. I was more saying that it just a reason for ppl to say why should I exercise or eat healthy if I am genetically going to be fat.
LD
 
True, I just have sympathy for the folks who give up because it is hard. Someone really obese have a hard road. If they succeed in losing weight to get to a "normal" weight, they can never ever let up, they have to constantly watch it all their lives. I think studying why this happens to some and not others can only help. Since each generation is getting heavier, it is wise to study the parts, genetics, lifestyle...
 
Dorothy, you are so right. They need to study every aspect of it. And hopefully one day we'll be closer to a solution to help those who want it and need it.

Beav's Type II diabetes is largely life style for most. But there is the genetics there too. I am sad to hear that your healthcare professionals subscribe to the accept fate rather than trying to change it (which isn't always possible BTW as you probably know)

I love the statement about the book empowering some to "skip the McDumpster drive thru"

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Genes determine your body type: some people are short and dumpy, while others are tall and skinny. I think that this what is being proved rather whether or not a person is above/below their 'ideal weight'. I personally don't believe too much in the BMI or the numbers on the scale. I believe people should be comfortable with their body type rather than try to fit a stereotype.

However, that being said 'obesity' and the weight problems of the Western world cannot be blamed on genetics alone. Genetics play a less important role in such cases; lifestyle changes and dietary changes are the true culprit. I read an article some where that measured the energy expenditure of an average housewife in the 50s and the calorie intake compared to a modern day house wife. The 50s housewife expend an average of 1,000 calories per day, her intake was around 2,100. The 90s woman burned less but still consume the same quantity, if not more, than what she puts out. Technology was a big factor in this: in the old days a woman did more manual work around the house without the assistance of washing machines, dishwashers, etc. As for diet, in the old days a typical family would eat home cooked meals and eat together. Food was fresh and locally produced. Food rationing meant each person's consumption was right for them.

Compare this to the diet and lifestyle of today where most people have cars and drive everywhere and we sit at the computer all day at work. We eat poorer quality food and a lot more of it: people don't cook as much preferring to eat out or buy convenience foods. Unfortunately, people's consumption of food has not fallen in accordance with our change in lifestyle but has actually increased. There is less restrictions on what we should eat and when we should eat it.

You can blame your mother, you can blame your father, you can even blame your ancestors going back millions of years. But the person you should blame is yourself!

Yen

(I would never blame my mother or my father for making me fat. I got fat because I ate too much and I ate rubbish.)
 
Genetics are one thing. I have diabetes in my family, so guess what, I'm double (triple) careful with eating/exercising. I'm doomed with bad genes, but it is my responsibility and choice what I eat and what my lifestyle is. So sorry, but I'm not buying this "not my fault" thing.

Also, can somebody explain me why I always gain when I eat more/wrong and always lose when eat less?

I'm not prejudice against fat people, I'm just a very strong believer of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND PERSONAL CHOICES.
 
This is very interesting to me. My mother's side of the family is tall and thin. That I know of, none of them (grandchildren included) have ever battled with their weight. My father's side, however, has had weight issues. My father lost about 40 pounds several years ago when he was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes. Up until about 4 years ago, I maintained a good weight for my size (about 170 - I'm 5'11 and have bigger bones). Now that I look back, I looked pretty good then. Had no trouble doing the beach in a bikini. In high school (I'll be 35 in August), I stayed around 150-155 and could eat pretty much whatever. Over the past few years, I started eating more sweets and fast food and guess what. I need to lose about 40 pounds now to get back to the "weight range" for my height that the charts give me, though people tell me I'm not "fat." In all actuality, I don't know that I'll ever get back to 170 because I have muscle now and I think I could look good around 180. The smallest size I've ever been that I can remember is a 12. I'll be happy with a 14 and a toned body because that's what looks good on me. I've also noticed that when I try to eat right and do it every few hours, nothing happens. BUT, under periods of stress/anxiety, I don't want to eat a lot and guess what else.....pants are loose within days. WHO KNOWS!
 
I learned from buffetgirl on this forum about Prader Willi Syndrome, and that's what first tipped me off to the whole genetic aspect of obesity. I then read that most genetic obesity is caused by the condition, in which the hypothalamus part of the brain, which normally registers feelings of hunger and satiety, is flawed. While scientists do not fully understand the condition yet, they think that such people never feel full, and that they have a continuous urge to eat that they cannot learn to control. Unfortunately, they also need fewer calories because their bodies have less muscle, so it's something that no amount of will power can ever overcome. While Prader Willi is on the extreme end of the continuum, I believe there is a continuum, just as there is for most other maladies. For example, we're not all bipolar, but many of us are moodier than others. I believe that understanding Prader Willi syndrome may eventually lead to an understanding of how to deal with genetic obesity on a lesser scale.

There are so many conditions for which we have medications these days, sometimes I get frustrated knowing that nothing effective has yet been discovered to help people with Prader Willi Syndrome, or just people who are naturally obese (NOT because they eat fast food, but because it takes them longer to feel satiated, or whatever the cause is). Such a medication could save SOOO much pain and misery.

My opinion is that such a medication would not do much to help those who think that "food" is fast foods and sugary drinks. (I have an aunt like that and we always joke that her idea of a vegetable is the flower on the cake.) If you're eating 6,000 greasy calories a day, the only thing that will help is nutritional education. But for those who really try and fail, I think someday science will find the answer.
 
Yes, I read that article, too, and found it very interesting. Especially the part about people having a kind of "set point" for weight, and how they rarely waver from it by more than a certain percentage. I know, from personal experience, that when I lose weight to where I actually have a flat belly, eventually I gain it back to where it's rounded again!!!
 
<To those who think this solid scholarly research is a cop-out, nothing in any of the reports suggests that we shouldn't all try to be the best we can be. You may be able to lose the first 20 lbs. of fat and still be in your body's natural comfort zone. But I think the research is important for those who have been trying their whole lives to be, say, a size 4, to realize that maybe they should just accept being a size 8 and start enjoying their lives.>

This is totally what I was trying to say. Because at 5'4", I am a size 6-8 and would love to be a size 2-4, but it ain't happening, and I'm soooo tired of hating my body and going around in a funk because of 2 stupid sizes!!

Self-acceptance for me, who has struggled with body image and bulemia* for years is a huge victory, not a cop-out.

Maggie

*I have not binged and purged on a daily basis for a many years, but I still purge a couple of times a month on average when I feel really out of control about my body and food. There--I've confessed.
 
"Self-acceptance for me, who has struggled with body image and bulemia* for years is a huge victory, not a cop-out."

I couldn't agree more, MSJ! I wish you victory! :D
 
I'm so much harder on myself than I am on other people, and harder on myself than other people are on me. I want to lose weight, but other people say they don't see why. MSJ wants to be thinner...but...I've met her and she looks delish. ;)

I sometimes wish we could transfer our acceptance of others' body weights to ourselves. So if someone thinks I'm fine the way I am, maybe they could somehow graft that acceptance into my brain and it would override my self-criticism.

Well, I'm going too sci-fi, I guess. Also departing from the topic, sorry.

Gisela
 
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