Obesity 'may be largely genetic'

[Tink]

Becoming overweight as a child is more likely to be the result of your genes than your lifestyle, claims a study.

Their American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that differences in body mass index and waist size were 77% governed by genes.

More on this article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7230065.stm

[HALEY]

Originally Posted by Tink

Becoming overweight as a child is more likely to be the result of your genes than your lifestyle, claims a study.

Their American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study found that differences in body mass index and waist size were 77% governed by genes.

More on this article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7230065.stm

I really don't believe that, for one, with todays fast life style, and both parents are working, that means more children are eatting fast foods, than home cooked meals, and with all these computer games, more kids are sitting on there butts instead of going outside and playing, there are more overweight kids in the US than ever before and it is scary.

[judy]

It sure is genetic, but I do agree with Haley about lifestyle practices leading to obesity in some cases.

The only thing is that I could eat you all under the table as a kid and was always underweight. I was 89 pounds when I became pregnant at 26. I ate whatever I wanted too, and plenty of it! I gained 10 pounds before I went for my first obgyn appointment. He never knew, so I got away with it!

Both parents were slender, and my Mom was short and petite like I am. My weight is definitely genetic.

[Janet]

I don't believe it either. My grandparents weren't heavy, neither were my parents. Me...that's another story. I just love to eat..period. Hopefully with WW's I can get this weight off.

[Tink]

Hypothyroid runs on our family BIG time.
It not only slows down your metabolism, but drains you of energy as well.

On top of that my Dad was overweight most of his life just as I have been. I am built just like him but with female parts. LOL Dads youngest sister is just 12 yrs older than I am and it's amazing how much she and I look alike! Height, weight, and even facial features. I was walking into a dimly lit building a couple years ago from bright sunlight and her own grown daughter who was inside the building, thought I was her. So yes, I believe there is a strong genetic link... but you can work to lose the weight if you are determined.

I've lost weight, but in order to do it I have to almost stop eating and walk at least a couple of miles a day. I'm simply too lazy and unmotivated to work that hard.

[HALEY]

i still believe it's the life style you choose, my Grandmother was overweight, my mother was overweight, my sister and brother were overweight, now that my mother had a couple of heart attacks, she changed her eatting habit and now is 130lbs, my sister also changed her eatting habits and is down to 120 lbs, my brother also, i don't know what he weighs, and me i'm down to 109 lbs. If you want to drop the lbs. you have to get off the couch and move.. i was way overweight last year at this time 30lbs after having my child, i choose to starve myself cause i just hated myself for being that big, but i was pregnant and didn't was to starve my unborn child so i ate and ate and ate... now i feel so much better. since i lost the weight, i just wish it was summer time so i can go back outside and start walking again...
sometimes you do need help from a doctor like my cousin, she was allergic to almost every food she put in her mouth and needed help from a professional now she has lost 40 lbs and i am so proud of her i tell her that everytime i see her. it is very hard to lose weight i know but you just have to throw away all the junk food and say i'm going to start today...

[Marilyn]

I think it's both, genetics and environment. Genetics affects our metabolism to some extent. I was much like Judy. I ate and ate and did not gain significant weight. People envied me. However, later in life, my metabolism must have slowed down, because if I ate like I used to, I'd be really large.

People used to get outside more, and I do blame television and video games along with the food choices for much of the obesity today. In much of Europe, people walk everywhere they go. In Germany, I saw men in the 60's and 70's out in the country riding their bicycles to get from place to place. People in the cities like Rome and Florence walk everywhere they go, or hop on scooters. They eat healthier foods for the most part and move a lot more than we do and you seldom see an obese person. People could just look at us and see that we were Americans. It was actually a little embarassing. I was slimmer, then, but my family was not. We're all at least a little overweight. Now England was a different story. Their diet and exercise levels are much like ours. Diet may even be a little worse. (Sorry ladies in the UK, from my observation, this is true. Diet and weight loss issues were all over their news, too.)

We've got to get up out of our chairs and get moving!!!!

[Janet]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

I think it's both, genetics and environment. Genetics affects our metabolism to some extent. I was much like Judy. I ate and ate and did not gain significant weight. People envied me. However, later in life, my metabolism must have slowed down, because if I ate like I used to, I'd be really large.

People used to get outside more, and I do blame television and video games along with the food choices for much of the obesity today. In much of Europe, people walk everywhere they go. In Germany, I saw men in the 60's and 70's out in the country riding their bicycles to get from place to place. People in the cities like Rome and Florence walk everywhere they go, or hop on scooters. They eat healthier foods for the most part and move a lot more than we do and you seldom see an obese person. People could just look at us and see that we were Americans. It was actually a little embarassing. I was slimmer, then, but my family was not. We're all at least a little overweight. Now England was a different story. Their diet and exercise levels are much like ours. Diet may even be a little worse. (Sorry ladies in the UK, from my observation, this is true. Diet and weight loss issues were all over their news, too.)

We've got to get up out of our chairs and get moving!!!!

And don't forget computers!!! If I could just stay off this darn thing, I really believe I could be so much thinner!

[judy]

I agree on the genetics and lifestyle combo causing obesity. Someone like me, or Marilyn could eat and eat, and not gain. Someone else who has inherited a different
metabolism would gain immediately.

Of course, if most people did eat right and exercise, they would be thinner no matter what their genetic make-up.

[DianaB]

My Mom and Dad were both small people, but my grandmother's were both heavy. Like Tink, I have hypothyroidism which effects my metabolism greatly. It's really hard to lose weight and to want to exercise. The thyroid problems come from my Mother's side of the family but didn't affect my Mother or my Grandmother, but I have two aunts that have it. Strange!

[Marilyn]

I've studied genetics, of course, it was 30 years ago, so they know a lot more now than they did then, but it's actually very easy to understand why traits skip a generation or why one sibling with have it and another will not. We did experiments breeding, of all things, fruit flies and the formulas they taught us for predicting the probability of a trait exhibiting itself were very accurate even then.

If a trait is carried on an uncommon recessive gene, it will not exhibit itself until it is matched by another recessive gene, which could take generations to occur. That was one of my more memorable courses in college. Only reason I took it was because I was majoring in Biology/Pre-Med at the time. Those were the days!! Don't I sound old!!

[Tink]

My thinking is that we can understand a lot about genetics by simply looking at different breeds of the same species. Look at Greyhounds... Very slim and sleek. Then look at the Saint Bernard... big and bulky, or the Rottweiler... short, broad, and muscular. They all have an expected body type based on the genes they've gotten from their parents. If we were to try to judge all dogs based on one or 2 breeds, most would fall short. We'd either think of greyhounds as anorexic or rotties and St Bernard's as fat! So because we expect them to be different and actually designed them to fit a specific purpose, we accept their body types as normal.

So what do you think of when you think of Vikings? Broad, blonde, fair skinned... Or Asians? Petite, with black hair and small features... So why is it so hard to accept that our genetic make-up plays a major role in our body type?
Judy might be a greyhound... and I'm a rottie. LOL

So what are you?

[judy]

A greyhound with a big tummy!

I also majored in Biology, Marilyn. Didn't you love it? Recessive alleles (gene types), etc.

[DianaB]

Marilyn, your classes sound a lot like what my daughter took. They worked with the fruit flies too. She loved that class.

Tink, I think that rotties are a very muscular and energetic dog. I think that suits you!!! I think that I'm a St. Bernard. Heavier and no energy!!!!! And everyone knows that I'm a Saint!!!! LOL!!!!!