Im Obese because my family is Obese! True/False

tiffanyslimdown

Okay!!! Looking for opinions here. I come from a pretty "large" set of family. Are ppl really fat because of genetics? How much of a role DNA play in obesity? I'm a larger woman & look/built exactly like my aunt, large arms, thighs & big buttocks, small breast for my weight and not much of stomach for a 380lbs woman.
Don't want my children in these footsteps of foolery! (Genetics/over eating etc)
Question is: Do people really "get it from they momma"?

Alatariel75

I think DNA and genetics has less to do with it than people learning their habits from their family. If your family is overweight because they eat a lot, chances are you will be raised eating a lot and will also end up overweight.

It comes down to being able to look at yourself and your family and ask, truthfully - Did I get to this weight because of my genetics, or because I ate way more than I needed to maintain a healthy weight?

VintageFeline

Research suggests there is an element of genetics to play but I think it mostly comes down to the habits you were brought up with. My mum has a really terrible relationship with food, completely disordered and in turn my eating became disordered too, just in different ways. The good news is these things can be changed and your kids just need you to give them a great example of being physically active and eating in moderation whilst having a healthy attitude to themselves and their bodies!

Alassonde

I think it has a lot to do with where the weight goes.....all the ladies in my family tend to pack it on around the stomach area, as I do. But most of my family are overweight/obese and I'm not. I don't think people have to just accept that they will be overweight because family members are. I think we can definitely overcome it.

arditarose

Like others said, I think it mostly comes down to the eating habits of your family. I never watched anyone eat in moderation. My family cooked big dinners, restaurant style, and took seconds and even thirds. As a kid, no one ever said to me "maybe you don't need two hamburgers, a hot dog, along with chips and juice". I was overweight before puberty and went all through my life slightly overweight. I remember sneaking food as well.

Anyway-now I'm thin(ish) so I know that it is not just genetics (body SHAPE, yes).

baldielove13

I can't say for sure if it's genetics. I guess weight can also depend on other things like: your family's diet, how often you exercise, etc. I don't think genetics automatically determine your size though. You can make the decision to change your body if you want to.

DavPul

Genetics will play a large role in where you store your fat and will determine some other attributes that make up your metabolism.

But in general, people learn eating and fitness habits from the people they live with, so what most people got from they mama is a love of fried foods served with heaping amounts of starches baked with cheese. And ain't nobody in the household getting up at 5am to run 5 miles, either. THAT is going to play a larger role in your health, fitness, physique, and longevity than your DNA. (IMO)

tiffanyslimdown

Yes! I would love to overcome it & working towards it now!

_ankylosaurus_

I have kind of a unique perspective on this issue. I'm adopted and, like almost every member of my adopted family, has struggled with my weight most of my life. A few years back I found my birth mother who, in her 60s, does several marathons a year. Everyone in my birth family, as it turns out, is slim and active. So personally, I have to chalk up my weight issues to learned bad habits. I grew up with huge portions, lots of white bread and pasta and potatoes and always always always a dessert. Can't blame it on a genetic predisposition-at least in my case.

lmcaroll

http://www.muscleforlife.com/body-weight-set-point/
This explains how people are different, genetics or otherwise, and how to break through it.

MamaBirdBoss

85% is how much you eat versus how active you are. ALMOST all of the rest is due to age, body composition, and gender.

So-called "metabolic syndrome" means excessive consumption along with insulin spikes/unusual leptin levels. It's the eating that causes it.

Most drugs and conditions that cause weight gain either make you hungrier or make you retain water...or both.

snapshot99

As others have suggested, it really does mostly come down to the eating habits within the household.
Up until the age of 15, I was obese. It was only when me and my dad gained a better understanding on nutrition, and decide to prepare meals aside from the usual family food, was I able to finally shed some weight.

As of this date, the rest of family still remain borderline overweight/obese.

lmcaroll

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CGAQtwIwCQ&url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAQr77QMJiw&ei=GNWZVbU9yOmwBY3vs6AC&usg=AFQjCNHQBLXYqv98Lmj0qKrjsjaIrfzqrA&sig2=ZKWGXYjDuZVJc8HNj8pyFQ
Watch this it explains how people are different too.

malibu927

Yes and no. It's more picking up bad eating/fitness habits their parents may set (such as in my case). Once you reach a certain age, though, it falls on your shoulders to realize what you're doing.

missomgitsica

My dad has always been a stick figure and my mom has always been on the bigger side. I have one sister who's morbidly obese, and one sister who's always been kinda chubby. I was thin until I started college, which is when I put on weight. So I don't think DNA has much to do with it to be honest.

tiffanyslimdown

malibu927 wrote: »

Yes and no. It's more picking up bad eating/fitness habits their parents may set (such as in my case). Once you reach a certain age, though, it falls on your shoulders to realize what you're doing.

Indeed!

shabaity

It's not genetics but the skinny genes do not hurt. My step-sibs and I ate the exact same meals and did similar after school activities all thru high school they stayed thin as rails and I was on the heavy side. This being said I was stronger and had better stamina so it even out.

andylllI

My sister and I are both 5'7. In high school she was 110 lbs and I was 140 and I was very jealous of her. Now we are the same weight but my body fat percentage is lower despite having two kids when she's childless by choice. She got thin genes but remains sedentary. I developed a love of exercise to offset my love of cookies.

If you grew up in a family where everyone is large then I suspect learned behaviour, including fitting into the social norm would have made it harder for you to maintain self-regulation and satiety/ appetite signals. Logging and mindful eating can help with that.

fbinsc

Families share genetics but also share eating habits and other lifestyle choices. There are some genetic syndromes that make people fat, like Prader-Willi but for most people genetics will only affect the degree of difficulty you have in maintaining a healthy weight.

tomatoey

There's also epigenetics

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/sep/07/epigenetics-heredity-diabetes-obesity-increased-cancer-risk

"There are many definitions of epigenetics, but simply put, says Professor Marcus Pembrey, a geneticist at University College London and the University of Bristol, it is a change in our genetic activity without changing our genetic code. It is a process that happens throughout our lives and is normal to development. Chemical tags get attached to our genetic code, like bookmarks in the pages of a book, signalling to our bodies which genes to ignore and which to use.

For decades, we have thought of our offspring as blank slates. Now, epigeneticists are asking whether in fact our environment, from smoking and diet to pollution and war, can leave "epigenetic marks" on our DNA that could get passed on to subsequent generations. They call the phenomenon epigenetic inheritance."

Kalikel

I have a hard time believing that our genes have an effect on everything but our weight. How much is genetic and how much is bad habits, I don't know, I don't think anyone knows, honestly.

jennifer_417

No. What they get from they momma is food...and too much of it. Genetics may determine where you store your fat, but only overeating will cause you to be overweight.

sheldonklein

tomatoey wrote: »

There's also epigenetics

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/sep/07/epigenetics-heredity-diabetes-obesity-increased-cancer-risk

"There are many definitions of epigenetics, but simply put, says Professor Marcus Pembrey, a geneticist at University College London and the University of Bristol, it is a change in our genetic activity without changing our genetic code. It is a process that happens throughout our lives and is normal to development. Chemical tags get attached to our genetic code, like bookmarks in the pages of a book, signalling to our bodies which genes to ignore and which to use.

For decades, we have thought of our offspring as blank slates. Now, epigeneticists are asking whether in fact our environment, from smoking and diet to pollution and war, can leave "epigenetic marks" on our DNA that could get passed on to subsequent generations. They call the phenomenon epigenetic inheritance."

Stated generously, the article, and epigenetics, is highly speculative and controversial. Less generously, it is dangerous hooey. I'm not feeling generous.

LiftAllThePizzas

tiffanyslimdown wrote: »

Okay!!! Looking for opinions here. I come from a pretty "large" set of family. Are ppl really fat because of genetics? How much of a role DNA play in obesity? I'm a larger woman & look/built exactly like my aunt, large arms, thighs & big buttocks, small breast for my weight and not much of stomach for a 380lbs woman.
Don't want my children in these footsteps of foolery! (Genetics/over eating etc)
Question is: Do people really "get it from they momma"?

A few decades ago there weren't really very many obese people. The genetics of people in developed nations didn't just suddenly change in the last few decades. It's the fact that we now have easy access to as much highly caloric food as we want and little reason to do things that burn extra calories.

Since that availability isn't going to change (or at least I hope it doesn't) we need to adapt our lifestyles to our new environment if we want to avoid the negative effects.

Unknown

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vixtris

I think people 'get it from their family' through habits only. As a child, I was a picky eater and was fed fast food pretty often. As I got older, and fatter, I didn't really know much at all about what was going on with my body. I had no idea why I was fat, I thought I was just stuck with it, like it was my destiny. I was never really educated on the need for physical fitness or a healthy diet. So I do believe the bad habits, lack of information, ect, can leak into children. I think its very important to teach your child healthy diets and fitness, and also to teach them why it is important. a majority of fat people are not fat because of "genetics" or "conditions." There are a few medical conditions known to cause weight gain, but most of them I believe can still lose weight simply by medicine, if needed, and changing their diet.

ninerbuff

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I think DNA and genetics has less to do with it than people learning their habits from their family. If your family is overweight because they eat a lot, chances are you will be raised eating a lot and will also end up overweight.

It comes down to being able to look at yourself and your family and ask, truthfully - Did I get to this weight because of my genetics, or because I ate way more than I needed to maintain a healthy weight?

Absolutely this. If people in a family all look the same weight wise, it's because habitually they all eat the same way.
Genetics will cover your bone structure, your height, your hair color, etc. It doesn't control how much you put in your mouth.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Unknown

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Train4Foodz

ninerbuff wrote: »

Alatariel75 wrote: »

I think DNA and genetics has less to do with it than people learning their habits from their family. If your family is overweight because they eat a lot, chances are you will be raised eating a lot and will also end up overweight.

It comes down to being able to look at yourself and your family and ask, truthfully - Did I get to this weight because of my genetics, or because I ate way more than I needed to maintain a healthy weight?

Absolutely this. If people in a family all look the same weight wise, it's because habitually they all eat the same way.
Genetics will cover your bone structure, your height, your hair color, etc. It doesn't control how much you put in your mouth.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

+1 On this.
Sums up my thoughts on the matter pretty well.

fbinsc

sheldonklein wrote: »

tomatoey wrote: »

There's also epigenetics

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/sep/07/epigenetics-heredity-diabetes-obesity-increased-cancer-risk

"There are many definitions of epigenetics, but simply put, says Professor Marcus Pembrey, a geneticist at University College London and the University of Bristol, it is a change in our genetic activity without changing our genetic code. It is a process that happens throughout our lives and is normal to development. Chemical tags get attached to our genetic code, like bookmarks in the pages of a book, signalling to our bodies which genes to ignore and which to use.

For decades, we have thought of our offspring as blank slates. Now, epigeneticists are asking whether in fact our environment, from smoking and diet to pollution and war, can leave "epigenetic marks" on our DNA that could get passed on to subsequent generations. They call the phenomenon epigenetic inheritance."

Stated generously, the article, and epigenetics, is highly speculative and controversial. Less generously, it is dangerous hooey. I'm not feeling generous.

There is nothing speculative or controversial about epigenetics.

lmcaroll

Watch the video I posted and see if your comments are the same.