Im Obese because my family is Obese! True/False
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I was always a very similar shape to my overweight father, all our weight goes straight to our belly, and for a years I blamed my weight on genetics and I just accepted that I was destined to be overweight. Since finding MFP I've lost 3 stone of fat, and have a completely different body shape now... So keep the faith.... genetics might not help you, but I'm almost certain that if you stick with MFP, are honest about your calorie intake and remain in deficit you will drop weight easier than you'd imagine.
good luck0 -
The only part genetics play in obesity is in pre-determining your height as an adult. That's it. A 6 foot tall person *can* eat a lot more than a 5 foot person can without gaining weight.
Other than that, using genetics as the reason you're overweight is just another excuse.
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Hard to deny genetics when I am built like my grandmother that died before I was born and my mom and dad are not big at all. My parents eat the way they were raised on fat back and fried foods with deserts at every dinner. I rarely fry and when I do it is with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Of course, my generations battle is different. Our battle is with the fast food eateries whereas not so with my parents. I think we look at genetics as a guideline not an excuse. Recognize that we have a predisposition to be a certain way. My mom says she has never dieted a day in her life. I can't remember a day of my adult life that I wasn't conscious of the need to lose at least a little. I think for me, it is just NO EXCUSES, BE THE HEALTHIEST ME THAT I CAN BE.....that is my goal.0
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Genetics do have an effect on your body composition. However, being obese is not a hereditary problem. Obesity comes from eating too much, not coming from an obese family. Your family became overweight by overeating - period. People who grow up in a family where overeating is seen as normal are more likely to overeat into adulthood and therefore be overweight into adulthood. But the only person to blame for being overweight is yourself, not your family. It's important to take responsibility for what your choices did to your body, and to take responsibility for making the changes necessary to fix that (if that's what you want to do).
Some people don't have the build to be petite and tiny, but everyone has the potential to reach and maintain a healthy weight.0 -
Nope, genetics play the part of determining height, hair color, bone size etc. Eating too much causes obesity.0
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It still boils down to cals in vs cals out... Period. Yes there are genetic traits that cause some people to respond to certain foods differently. I'm part native and that likely contributes to my lactose intolerance but it has nothing to do with weight.
You didn't lose weight because you started eating natural, you lost weight because you started eating less. Processed/packaged food makes eating to much easier but that's about it.
But I am literally NOT eating less-I'm eating DIFFERENT. I'm now eating foods that are better for MY body. I'm still at 1200 calories. But I grew up thinking the weight watchers way- 1200 calories is 1200 calories, while for me, that's just not true.
1200 calories is 1200 calories, and if 1200 is a deficit then you will lose on 1200 no matter the "type" of calories.
You can always try this experiment. Eat 500 calories over maintenance of the right calories for three months and see if you gain any weight...0 -
No. The only cause and effect is bad choices/habits being taught over and over again.0
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This is an interesting discussion and I used to believe genetics had a lot to do with my weight until I realized that I have the ability to change the bad habits I grew up with so that I can set a good example for my daughter. My body type is set by genetics but the amount of fat on my body does not.0
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Metabolic Syndrome is a result not a cause.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/metabolic-syndrome/basics/definition/con-20027243
And I do not agree that genetics makes you fat. I used to think that when I was hopeless and looking for excuses.
I saw a guy I know lose 100+ pounds and asked questions and joined a gym.
Did the typical things and lost the weight. Others in my family did not do what I did.
They still eat terribly and stayed fat. And they pick at me about being a choosy eater0 -
I do believe genetics are important, but they can't make you deny laws of physics. CICO still works. I think where genetics plays a role is in terms of our natural preferences for activity levels and food intake. I know people who find exercise rewarding and naturally on the move quite a bit, they gravitate toward athletics. Others have to force themselves more. I just think this is a natural personality difference that you not only see in humans but in other animals too. Anyone have enough dogs or cats or hamsters in your home to see the temperament differences emerge? One critter is running like a motor while the other sleeps on the couch? I think this stuff is learned, but there is an inborn element too. In our modern environment where it is possible to survive at a sedentary desk job and being a couch potato, these genetic differences start to emerge more I think.
Same with eating. It is natural to have an inborn drive to eat, present in all species. Today we live in a world where fast food is on the corner and we have to self regulate more, and some find it easier than others. Some people like food more than others, find more rewards from eating. Some people just seem to not get hungry as much. I have a coworker who swears to me that he never feels hunger and doesn't know what it feels like. He just eats because the clock says it is time and has kept the same thin weight his whole life (he is 78). Me....I have no break pedal. After 2 years of moderate eating I still can't feel full unless I've eaten a LOT of calories in a sitting. I see people on the weight gain board say they are so stuffed on 1000 calories a DAY and it boggles my mind. I wouldn't be stuffed on 1000 a MEAL!! It made it much easier to develop problems with binge eating, to become morbidly obese and out of shape, not having a break pedal and naturally prone to sedentary things. My mom runs like a motor and hates eating and has been 5'5' and 115 since her teens and is now in her 60s. Dad is like me. I lived with both and got more environment from mom as she was stay at home while dad worked all day. But I was always just like him in this way, it felt more natural to me to follow his example.
I've had to accept these things about my physiology, that I'm not naturally prone to move a lot or to moderating my food before I was able to find the solution, which was to track these things and override the "default settings" that I adopted from my dad (both with genes and environment). So I use Fitbit and MFP to self regulate, not my internal cues. I lose weight at the predicted weight loss rate....no metabolic issues here.0 -
See, I really don't think that genetics plays a huge role. I grew up in a family where my mother, father, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. are all over weight. All of them. Not a single one is a healthy weight. Yet, I'm average weight for my height/age, and my brother is underweight. I think it has a lot to do with how active we both were as kids, despite eating junk all the time. I used to walk the 5 miles to my martial arts class instead of having my overweight mother drive me, I was always walking and playing sports, etc. And now I'm determined to never, ever go over average weight, so I'm working on losing weight and toning just to spite any genetic predisposition my body might have to want to be overweight. I never had to worry about it growing up, but I'm certainly conscious of the possibility now, and know I will never let my mind relax enough to get to the point they all are at. Setting the good example for your kids would probably help them from the beginning, but being a kid with a terrible example setting family who's never been overweight, I don't think it's genetics or familial example, but personal choice and realization and action.0
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But I am literally NOT eating less-I'm eating DIFFERENT. I'm now eating foods that are better for MY body. I'm still at 1200 calories. But I grew up thinking the weight watchers way- 1200 calories is 1200 calories, while for me, that's just not true.
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Wrong, what you are saying is literally impossible. You may be eating the same volume of food but you are eating fewer calories. That is the truth. Like I said, processed packaged food makes over eating easy. You can eat your whole 1200 calorybdense budget in a hand full of bites. Or you can spread it over several meals.
I'll say it again, genetics can NOT defy physics.0 -
Docbanana2002 wrote: »I think where genetics plays a role is in terms of our natural preferences for activity levels and food intake.
Yes, although I believe this is strongly influenced by habit and upbringing too. It's impossible to truly sort out how much is what, although I suppose we could look at studies of twins raised separately.
Obviously socially environment is huge, as there's no genetic change that could explain the increase in obesity and overweight (as others have pointed out).
So for any individual what this means is that we are not doomed to be overweight, but can certainly lose the weight if we choose to.0 -
MamaBirdBoss wrote: »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.
At the beginning, a body used to processing not very much food will simply rebel and food goes straight through not very well digested.
I've been hanging around 1200 cal a day. If I suddenly ate 900 cal at a sitting, I would get sick. I wouldn't gain much weight from it because it wouldn't be absorbed. It would take at least a week to put on much weight.
I was going to say something like this but figured I had rambled enough.
This is entirely possible and even probable over time but is the opposite of what many people try to claim. While it is possible to consume X amount of calories and only have Y amount actually used by the body, and food sensitivity can be one big reason it simply dose not follow that for any reason you can eat Y amount of calories and see the results of having eaten A greater amount of calories.
My modest lactose intolerance might mean that I can chug a 44 oz milkshake and suffer no weight gain due to its rapid (read violent) passage through my body but it along with any other food sensitivity will not fabricate man breasts out of nothing.
Most food issues are either an inability to metabolize something or an allergic reaction with consequences that are not directly related to weight loss.
So unless your died is causing you discomfort or other medical issues simply changing foods will not lead to weight loss. However going from processed calorie dense fast food to a broccoli based diet will almost certainly lead to weight loss, not because of food sensitivity but simply because it takes a LOT more broccoli to get fat than beef and white buns.
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Science says otherwise. 1200 calories IS 1200 calories, no matter the source. What you're referring to though is a difference in macronutrient breakdown. Macros/nutritional breakdown will cause different reactions. Carbs vs. Protein vs. Fat, etc. But macros don't dictate weight loss. Calories do.
So I guess you could say instead that my reaction to those macros are genetic...and then we're back to the beginning
Not if that beginning is saying that the type of calories you eat determines weight loss not the number of calories. Because that is set in stone.0 -
It's habitual. Your parents and family did not know how to eat food, just food like products and unfortunately you have that learned behavior too. What adam2k10 said is right... genetics does not control what you put in your mouth. At your weight, it would be best for you to invest in a nutritionist/ dietitian instead of just guessing on the internet and MFP. This WILL save you money and WILL save your live in the long run. Also, I recommend therapy to my obese clients. Tracking emotions and learning to replace will also save your life.0
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MamaBirdBoss wrote: »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.
At the beginning, a body used to processing not very much food will simply rebel and food goes straight through not very well digested.
I've been hanging around 1200 cal a day. If I suddenly ate 900 cal at a sitting, I would get sick. I wouldn't gain much weight from it because it wouldn't be absorbed. It would take at least a week to put on much weight.
I was going to say something like this but figured I had rambled enough.
This is entirely possible and even probable over time but is the opposite of what many people try to claim. While it is possible to consume X amount of calories and only have Y amount actually used by the body, and food sensitivity can be one big reason it simply dose not follow that for any reason you can eat Y amount of calories and see the results of having eaten A greater amount of calories.
My modest lactose intolerance might mean that I can chug a 44 oz milkshake and suffer no weight gain due to its rapid (read violent) passage through my body but it along with any other food sensitivity will not fabricate man breasts out of nothing.
Most food issues are either an inability to metabolize something or an allergic reaction with consequences that are not directly related to weight loss.
So unless your died is causing you discomfort or other medical issues simply changing foods will not lead to weight loss. However going from processed calorie dense fast food to a broccoli based diet will almost certainly lead to weight loss, not because of food sensitivity but simply because it takes a LOT more broccoli to get fat than beef and white buns.
why is it always a false choice between "processed calorie dense fast food" on the one end, and "a broccoli based diet" on the other end.
both are utterly ridiculous as I don't see anyone recommending a 100% fast food or broccoli based diet...
oh, and good luck trying to get anywhere near 1200 calories on your broccoli diet...0 -
Absolutely this. If people in a family all look the same weight wise, it's because habitually they all eat the same way.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?
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.
to say genetics plays no role in behavior is simply untrue. its as much an interplay of nature versus nurture just as any physical trait.
Not that it really matters, both your genetics and your environmental conditions regarding food will both come largely from your family.
Growing up, I'd say that to a large extent your not entirely in control of your nutrition. but once you've moved out and your supporting yourself, its really just an excuse.0 -
I didn't read it all, but there is a little of both involved. I know this from experience. My brother and I are both adopted and have different biological parents.
I was always a good eater, ate a lot just like my parents. I am a foodie, love food.
My brother, not so much. He eats just because he has to. Never really over ate and was always picky.
So there is some play for genetics here. We both were served the same food, both had the chance to eat fried and tons of cookies. I always overate and filled to the brim. He always stopped when full.
I saw it in my husband's family too. They just don't over eat. Actually my husband is not a big eater. My daughter had both of us to influence her. I always emphasized healthy food, but I always ate a lot. My husband not so much. Daughter takes after dad in body, slim and not a big eater. She never really wanted breakfast, still has problems eating first thing. Stress makes her not eat, I eat when stressed.
So yes there are some genetics at play, but behavior is a big part. I have chosen to not continue my parents behavior. I have chosen to be more balanced and eat better. I have also chosen to not make it about my size, but about my health. When I gain, I hurt, when I lose I feel better. Unfortunately, I didn't complete break the cycle, but I think I did OK with my daughter. Her problem was being skinny she was teased and asked by kids "how do I lose weight" and told by adults "your so lucky you can eat anything". No she can't.
BTW, I am overweight but have perfect cholesterol, hubby was underweight or perfect weight and has high cholesterol. Doctor tells me my numbers are probably genetic.0 -
MamaBirdBoss wrote: »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.
At the beginning, a body used to processing not very much food will simply rebel and food goes straight through not very well digested.
I've been hanging around 1200 cal a day. If I suddenly ate 900 cal at a sitting, I would get sick. I wouldn't gain much weight from it because it wouldn't be absorbed. It would take at least a week to put on much weight.
I was going to say something like this but figured I had rambled enough.
This is entirely possible and even probable over time but is the opposite of what many people try to claim. While it is possible to consume X amount of calories and only have Y amount actually used by the body, and food sensitivity can be one big reason it simply dose not follow that for any reason you can eat Y amount of calories and see the results of having eaten A greater amount of calories.
My modest lactose intolerance might mean that I can chug a 44 oz milkshake and suffer no weight gain due to its rapid (read violent) passage through my body but it along with any other food sensitivity will not fabricate man breasts out of nothing.
Most food issues are either an inability to metabolize something or an allergic reaction with consequences that are not directly related to weight loss.
So unless your died is causing you discomfort or other medical issues simply changing foods will not lead to weight loss. However going from processed calorie dense fast food to a broccoli based diet will almost certainly lead to weight loss, not because of food sensitivity but simply because it takes a LOT more broccoli to get fat than beef and white buns.
why is it always a false choice between "processed calorie dense fast food" on the one end, and "a broccoli based diet" on the other end.
both are utterly ridiculous as I don't see anyone recommending a 100% fast food or broccoli based diet...
oh, and good luck trying to get anywhere near 1200 calories on your broccoli diet...
True, the extremes were to illustrate the point, not a practical suggestion.
In fact I was taking a jab directly at the "processed food is evil, organic, vegetarian, vegan etc is the only way" types.
I regularly eat fast food, I'm just mindful of the fact that there are a lot of cals there and that I will likely not get to eat the volume of food I would like if I am not careful.
Cals in-cals out. I could blow my budget at McDs in one sitting or spread it out but in the end the final tally is what keeps me losing, or not.0 -
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?
I tend to agree with this. I think the best thing you can do is live by example and be as healthy as you can be.
Kids listen not only to what we say but what we do.
There are/were three type 2 diabetics in my family. All 3 were obese at time of diagnosis and 2 are now dead. You cannot control your genes but you can control your risk factors for diabetes and other conditions.
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No_Finish_Line wrote: »
Absolutely this. If people in a family all look the same weight wise, it's because habitually they all eat the same way.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?
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.
to say genetics plays no role in behavior is simply untrue. its as much an interplay of nature versus nurture just as any physical trait.
Not that it really matters, both your genetics and your environmental conditions regarding food will both come largely from your family.
Growing up, I'd say that to a large extent your not entirely in control of your nutrition. but once you've moved out and your supporting yourself, its really just an excuse.
The thing is... There is very little meaningful difference between the genes of a fit person and a fat person.
Genetic predispositions can effect behavior, but still how that plays out is largely environmental. We all have the same predispositions, the drive to eat the drive to conserve energy. Those were bred into us by neccisity. But so was the drive to be active and the intelligence to be deterministic.
How those drives play out are up to you ultimately, whatever you can point to and say "this is why I'm fat" any number of people can point to and say "this is why I'm fit".
Again, there is little difference between the fattest and the fittest on earth, except the choices each made.0 -
I don't believe that you are stuck because of genetics, but I do think they play a part. I think it's more of an environmental and cultural link between the types of foods you grew up with and what you find comforting. All of my parents (father, mother and stepmother) are all obese and I have managed to break the cycle, along with my siblings, and live a healthy lifestyle. It's hard especially when we get together because they tend to eat the fattening foods from my childhood that I still want, but can only have very small portions of now.0
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I'm adopted and have always been fascinated with the impact of genetics/environment. Spent a great deal of time reviewing twin and adoption studies, especially in cases of twin separation.
The weight of scientific evidence supports that environment dominates behavior up to late adolescence/early adulthood, then genetics plays a greater role. I think of it as genetics sets up parameters; however environment and self determination can surpass those parameters.
As for weight gain/loss this isn't as much of an issue. If you don't have access to excess food (e.g. any impoverished nation) you are not going to find an obese populace. Genetics may determine where an individual carries additional weight, but without the ability to provide this additional weight - eating surplus calories - said individual will not gain weight. It's a matter of habit. Far too many parents not leading by example.0 -
LiftAllThePizzas wrote: »
In order for genetics or epigenetics to even be applicable or relevant here, there would need to be people somewhere whose observed TDEE was way lower than expected without any other explanation. Lots of them.sheldonklein 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.
That's if you're assuming the question of genetics is ONLY in regards to calorie burn. Epigenetics does have an effect on behavior and eating patterns. Do look up the Dutch Famine, and the studies done on the population born around that time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_famine_of_1944#Legacy
This is not to say it is destiny, or that these people have differences in TDEE.The Dutch Famine Birth Cohort Study, carried out by the departments of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Gynecology and Obstetrics and Internal Medicine of the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam, in collaboration with the MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit of the University of Southampton in Britain, found that the children of pregnant women exposed to famine were more susceptible to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, microalbuminuria and other health problems.0 -
Again, there is little difference between the fattest and the fittest on earth, except the choices each made.
Not entirely true.....there is a degree of variability in rates of nutrient / calorie absorption.
ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/6/1650.full
Furthermore in terms of fitness there are varying degrees of responsiveness to exercise and genetic differences that predispose people to suitability to different sports (ie a world class sprinter is born with more fast twitch muscles than a champion marathoner)
Having said that, blaming your genes is a convenient excuse for many people, it save them the trouble of having to make an effort.
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No, that's what I said The reactions I get from certain foods are not the same as other people.
(And I'm not avoiding the rest of this, but I gotta go to work!)
Your body is not going to digest and store a markedly greater amount of energy from food than other people. Metabolism is rather fixed - if there is a difference in metabolism that makes an organism more efficient, it will flood the population's genetics very quickly because of evolutionary pressure - for comparison, early hominids (human ancestors) went from walking on four limbs like chimps to walking on two legs most of the time to save all of 4 calories per kilometer walked.0 -
MamaBirdBoss wrote: »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.
I've been hanging around 1200 cal a day. If I suddenly ate 900 cal at a sitting, I would get sick. I wouldn't gain much weight from it because it wouldn't be absorbed. It would take at least a week to put on much weight.
That doesn't make a lick of evolutionary sense. If that were applicable to most humans, we'd be dead as a species - we went through large periods of eating 0 calories for days, followed by suddenly having access to a carcass and gorging on every available part for what would probably to 10,000's worth of calories.
Your body will buffer food and wait to break it down.0 -
Just a few decades ago, far fewer Americans were obese, so it clearly isn't chiefly genetics.
However, habits (good and bad) travel through communities like epidemics. If your family and friends gain weight (or start smoking, or commit to exercising), your chances of gaining weight (smoking, exercising) go way up.
We tend to act like those we love and admire. It can go towards the positive as well as the negative.
The book The Willpower Instinct deals with this.
Also, as we are surrounded by more heavy people, our perception of what is a normal weight shifts upwards.0 -
There is a genetic component, but I don't think it's as pronounced as people would sometimes like to think.
We are products of our environments though and we learn behaviors from our family members to include eating behaviors and exercise behaviors. Someone who comes from an environment that puts a premium on eating well and being active is probably not going to be obese regardless of any genetic predisposition.
IMO, genetics plays a far greater roll in where we store fat as well as predispositions to certain diseases...but I think the "fat gene" card is overplayed.0
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