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Genes Play a Big Role in Obesity...for a Select Few
Posted on Nov 18th 2009 2:00PM by Victoria SteinFiled Under: Diet & Weight Loss
Photo: vm2827, Flickr
Remember the adage "you are what you eat"? Well it turns out "you are what your great-great-grandmother ate" may be more appropriate. That is if you're among the small percentage of the population for whom genes may be to blame for a widening girth, according to a review article about genetics and metabolic disorders in the current issue of Nature.
There's more to the story than environmental factors (think lack of exercise and an abundance of high calorie foods) alone,
While this doesn't account for the sharp increases in worldwide obesity and diabetes over the past few decades, it does suggest that we need to rethink the one-size-fits all approach to weight loss. For most of us, it's not just genes and it's not just environment, but the interplay of the two. And a few of us may have a greater genetic predisposition to packing on the pounds. Add to that 64-ounce slushies, 24-hour drive-thrus and hours spent sitting idly in front of the TV and obesity is an almost inevitable outcome.
according to author Stephen O'Rahilly, a professor of clinical biochemistry and medicine at Cambridge University. How different people respond to these triggers is just as important as the factors themselves. "Its main points," said Dr. O'Rahilly, "are to emphasize the importance of inherited factors in both Type 2 diabetes and obesity. In particular it highlights how genetic variants influencing appetite and satiety play an unexpectedly important role in determining who is susceptible to obesity and who is resistant."
While this doesn't account for the sharp increases in worldwide obesity and diabetes over the past few decades, it does suggest that we need to rethink the one-size-fits all approach to weight loss. For most of us, it's not just genes and it's not just environment, but the interplay of the two. And a few of us may have a greater genetic predisposition to packing on the pounds. Add to that 64-ounce slushies, 24-hour drive-thrus and hours spent sitting idly in front of the TV and obesity is an almost inevitable outcome.
That doesn't mean you should respond to a thickening midsection by throwing in the towel and blaming Grandma Marion. Although we're stuck with the genes we were born with, we can change our behaviors. A few simple changes will help short-circuit those pesky genes: Swap that slushie for a bottle of water, pack a turkey sandwich to go, and walk for 30 minutes after dinner.
Bottom line: Making small, healthy changes will make a big difference in the long run, even if your genes are wielding power over your waistline. For more advice on keeping weight gain at bay, check out these weight loss tips.
