Photo: Toby Otter, Flickr

There's no question about it. American waistlines are getting bigger every year. With a whopping two-thirds of the population overweight, there has to be a logical explanation, right?

According to one report, blame your parents. The New York Times recently ran an article debunking the fact that healthy diets, exercise and willpower may not be enough to stay slim. Claiming that "body composition is dictated by DNA and monitored by the brain," some researchers think we cannot "will" our way out of obesity.

"Scientists now believe that each individual has a genetically determined weight range spanning perhaps 30 pounds." The Times goes on to state, "The temptations of our environment -- the sedentary living, the ready supply of rich food -- may not be entirely to blame for rising obesity rates. In fact, new research suggests that the environment that most strongly influences body composition may be the very first one anybody experiences: the womb."

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If you have kids, you know all about the nature versus nurture debate. Some parents are paying to find out if their babies have all the right genetic stuff of an athlete. So what do you think? Were you born to be an athlete? Or did practice and hard work make you skilled at your favorite sports?

There's no doubt that certain body types have advantages in certain activities. Height is practically a requirement for elite basketball players, serious runners tend to be long and lean and would Nastia Liukin have been able to flip so elegantly if she were 5'9'" and heavyset? There are three extremes for body types:

• Endomorphs are pear-shaped with wide hips and shoulders.
  
• Mesomorphs have broad shoulders and narrow hips.
  
• Ectomorphs are tall and thin with a narrow body.
  

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Ever feel like you just can't stop eating junk food no matter how much your willpower tells you to stop for the love of Pete? Yeah, I know the feeling. But don't feel too bad about it -- it might be in your genes.

A version of a gene called FTO is believed to cause some people to eat, on average, 100 extra calories per meal. And now for the really unfortunate news: It's estimated that two-thirds of us are affected by FTO. And those with it are 30 percent more like to be obese. No wonder -- those extra 100 calories can really add up -- to about 2,100 calories a week to be precise.

The good news? This gene discovery could help scientists figure out just how to control this obesity epidemic of ours. A pill that would allow me us to eat as much chocolate cake a la mode as we want without gaining a pound sounds pretty perfect, don't you think?

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There's a story in my family about my great-grandmother baking a pie for the family. She tried a sliver, just to make sure it was good, and then another, and then another. Well, she ended up having to bake another pie because, by the time she finished "testing" it, there was nothing left. Obviously it didn't happen much -- she was very thin -- but I've always identified with her through this story.

This has never happened to me (honest), but it makes me wonder if a recent University of Toronto study is on to something. It found that people with a "genetic quirk" drank more sugary drinks, ate more sweets, and consumed more calories from the extra sugar. It's not surprising that these folks weighed more and had larger waists.

Personally, I don't think anyone should blame their genes for having a hard time putting down the cookies -- there are a lot of other factors involved in weight gain and loss. But, it makes me wonder if maybe Great-Grandma Zahrt passed down a genetic quirk.

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If your dad is short and overweight, your mom is short and overweight, you'll be short and overweight, too, right? Not necessarily.

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In early June, I wrote a post about a study that stated a low-sodium diet didn't have as great of an impact on heart health as previously thought. Now a new study confirms the traditional thought that salt intake effects blood pressure. Color this writer confused.

The more recent study aimed to find a genetic component that made people more susceptible to the effects of salt on blood pressure. Ultimately, the study found no genetic link. The study subjects who took in more salt had higher blood pressure regardless of genetics.

While the previous study doesn't necessarily dispute the link between blood pressure and salt intake, it does state that 80% of people who were on a low-sodium diet (in their study) were at a greater risk for developing heart disease. While they don't believe low-sodium diets are a causative factor for heart disease, they're questioning whether or not a low-sodium diet is effective for heart health management.

So what's a person to do? Personally, I'm going to continue avoiding high-sodium packaged foods, minimizing the salt I use in cooking, and not worrying about it. How about you?

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A joint study out of the University of Utah and the University of Wisconsin-Madison revealed that people with certain genetic variations may be at higher risk for becoming life-long nicotine addicts if they begin smoking before they turn 17.

In this study, which involved 2,827 long-term smokers of European-American descent, one haplotype (the linked gene variations) for the nicotine receptor increased the risk of individuals becoming heavy smokers later in life. Participants who took their first drag on a cigarette before the age of 17 and who also had two copies of the high-risk haplotype were up to five times more likely to become heavy smokers as adults.

By contrast, those who had the haplotype but did not begin smoking until they were 17 or older did not face an increased risk of life-long addiction.

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Are you a couch potato? If so, it turns out that laziness isn't just a bad habit -- it may actually be coded in your genes.

A research team from the University of North Carolina has conducted preliminary studies on mice that suggest our genetic makeup may predispose us to being lazy. The team indicated different genomic areas that regulate activity levels. The research team is gearing up to do a human-based study of a similar nature.

The researchers indicate that genetics account for roughly 50% of the differences in activity. If the same genetic traits prove to be valid in humans, it's certainly an interesting concept. Exercise and activity has by and large been considered a healthy choice to make. And, while even if genes play a role, it still is ultimately a choice -- a genetic difference would show that certain people have a larger natural drive to be active.

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Over five million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and fortunately, there are a number of ways for you to reduce your risk. However, there is one risk you can't avoid -- genetics.

Children whose parents both had Alzheimer's are at a much higher risk of developing the disease. And, because Alzheimer's is so common, it's not unusual for spouses to both develop the disease -- a situation that will become more and more common as baby boomers age.

Alzheimer's disease generally affects patients over 65 years old and is a terminal, neurodegenerative disorder. And it's not only the patient who is affected -- the families of the patients are put through a great deal as they struggle to care for their loved one, having to make decisions because the patient no longer can.

If you would like to learn more or see how you can contribute to Alzheimer's research, check out the Alzheimer's Association website. You also might want to consider fundraising for and walking in this year's Memory Walk -- if you don't have a direct connection to the disease, you can use mine. My grandmother (pictured above) hasn't recognized me in years.

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Gout is a painful condition caused by inflammation due to a build-up of uric acid on the joints. It frequently affects the big toe, but can affect nearly any joint such as ankles, fingers, or knees. Diet and alcohol can trigger a gout attack, but a recent study reveals that genetics can also play a role.

Researchers found a gene variation which makes it harder for the body to properly remove uric acid from the bloodstream. The finding could have a big impact on diagnosis and treatment for gout. And, it can help gout patients who eat right and refrain from drinking pinpoint a reason they developed the condition.

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My mother used to give me a sage piece of advice "you can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it." It's something I try to live by (though I often remind myself of that after I've already reacted a little less than gracefully). Maybe my mom was really on to something. Researchers have found that our genes play a large role in our happiness.

A Australian team composed of University of Edinburgh psychologists and researchers from Queensland Institute for Medical Research conducted a personality study using the Five-Factor Model. They found certain personality traits such as worry, gregariousness, and conscientiousness to be hereditary. People who are naturally friendlier, easy-going, and sociable tend to be happier overall. The cocktail of positive personality traits can act as a protective shield when bad things happen.

The study followed more than 900 pairs of twins, identifying common genes which result in certain characteristics. Environmental factors such as stress, relationships, jobs, and home life obviously have a big role in a person's mood. But certain hereditary personality traits can make some people able to fly through stressors a bit more easily.

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In today's genetic news, medical experts are now saying that personal genetic makeup can affect how a person reacts to blood pressure medications. If you're on generic hypertension medication, this news may be of significance to you.

Custom treatments for certain conditions based on one's genetic state will only become a larger industry from here. the history of current medication (until recently) has been blanket treatments for anyone diagnosed with certain illnesses or conditions. Is that philosophy changing? You bet.

But, of course, hard medical data and studies have a long road to confirm whether customized treatments based on genetic factors will continue seeing the light of day and even become mainstream medical practice.

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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers can puzzle medical professionals sometimes. Standard treatments that work on some just don't work on other. From a genetic standpoint, some genetic differences at play within patients may explain this, according to a new study out of Europe.

Relapsing-remitting MS is the most common form of the disease, so international researchers extracted the DNA from those MS patients who had full symptom reduction after having used interferon therapy. It then collected DNA from those who also received the same type of therapy, but who suffered relapses after this therapy.

The differences discovered in the two groups pointed to specific genetic differences in the two MS groups. Customizing treatment per patient would be a end goal of medical professionals (compared to "blanket" treatments that are not as effective for some) -- this this new discovery fits squarely in that camp. Researchers wrote "in the absence of prognostic clinical, neuroradiological and/or immunological markers of response, the question remains who and when to treat when adverse effects, inconvenience and the cost of drugs are significant."

And, when insurance companies start balking at the price of treatment for those suffering from MS with valid insurance coverage, I suppose.

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Right now you can find almost anybody in the world using the internet, whether it's through paying a high-tech online service or simply "Googling" names and seeing what pops up. But what if, in searching for long lost relatives in particular, there was an enormous online DNA database you could check? Now that would be cool. Creepy, sure. But cool.

Well we're one step closer (practically there, actually) to that possibility with Ancestry.com. You can order a DNA kit, swab yourself, and send it in to their system where they'll check you against all the other DNA in their system. If a match is found they'll notify both parties and if everyone agrees, contact information is exchanged.

Interesting idea, and it's all supposedly private and anonymous, but I'm skeptical to say the least.


Via Book of Joe

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Hey women, although your sweet-tooth might be in your genes, as I told you a few days ago, other factors play a major role in how you taste sweet things -- namely smoking and your family's history of alcoholism. Smoking, not surprisingly, dulls your tastebuds to sweet foods, so theoretically, it will take more sugar to satisfy your sweet cravings than it would if you were a non-smoker.

And if your family has a history of alcoholism, you're more likely to crave sweets. Strange -- I don't see a link here. But researchers believe a genetic predisposition to addiction is at the heart of both of these findings.

What do you think about these findings?

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