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NYT article about obesity stating it's genetic, not lack of willpower
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If you want Science, look at the science of weight loss. There are genetic factors that make weight loss or even weight gain more difficult for some, but the real scientific proof proves this is a load of crap0
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Sadly some people want to believe it's not within their power to change.
Add to that there is so much misinformation out there and almost zero mainstream information out there on HOW to keep the weight off.4 -
Genetics gave me blue eyes, genetics did not put the bag of chips in my grocery cart, personal choice did.25
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Sadly some people want to believe it's not within their power to change.
Add to that there is so much misinformation out there and almost zero mainstream information out there on HOW to keep the weight off.
To be fair, given the free flow of information these days, it's no one's fault but their own if they remain ignorant. Yes, sifting through bad information takes time and effort, but it's still readily available to all. We are not some elite group of Illuminati that is privy to knowledge that no one else can have.11 -
Sadly some people want to believe it's not within their power to change.
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It wasn't even a "study", it was a survey of 1500 people. A survey has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with "what science says". And the "study" was funded by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
LOL. LOLOL.
"It's not your fault you're overweight. It's your genes! So forget trying to diet and just make an appointment with your nearest Bariatric Surgeon."
<eye rolly>11 -
Sadly some people want to believe it's not within their power to change.
Add to that there is so much misinformation out there and almost zero mainstream information out there on HOW to keep the weight off.
The only information needed to lose weight is eat fewer calories than you burn. The USDA, Harvard Med, etc promote it. It works.1 -
There are a metric crapton of theories about why people can't lose weight. The simple truth is that people DON'T, because it's HARD.6
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Packerjohn wrote: »Sadly some people want to believe it's not within their power to change.
Add to that there is so much misinformation out there and almost zero mainstream information out there on HOW to keep the weight off.
The only information needed to lose weight is eat fewer calories than you burn. The USDA, Harvard Med, etc promote it. It works.
Losing weight isn't my problem and there's no shortage of information on that!
my point is millions are spent on books about losing weight and not much on HOW to keep it off. That's part of the reason we see so many regain the weight. Emphasis is almost always on losing not maintaining.1 -
Packerjohn wrote: »Sadly some people want to believe it's not within their power to change.
Add to that there is so much misinformation out there and almost zero mainstream information out there on HOW to keep the weight off.
The only information needed to lose weight is eat fewer calories than you burn. The USDA, Harvard Med, etc promote it. It works.
Losing weight isn't my problem and there's no shortage of information on that!
my point is millions are spent on books about losing weight and not much on HOW to keep it off. That's part of the reason we see so many regain the weight. Emphasis is almost always on losing not maintaining.
Maintaining is even easier. Eat what you burn.3 -
trigden1991 wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »Sadly some people want to believe it's not within their power to change.
Add to that there is so much misinformation out there and almost zero mainstream information out there on HOW to keep the weight off.
The only information needed to lose weight is eat fewer calories than you burn. The USDA, Harvard Med, etc promote it. It works.
Losing weight isn't my problem and there's no shortage of information on that!
my point is millions are spent on books about losing weight and not much on HOW to keep it off. That's part of the reason we see so many regain the weight. Emphasis is almost always on losing not maintaining.
Maintaining is even easier. Eat what you burn.
I think that's the biggest problem: it's so obvious that it gets completely overlooked. So many people lose weight on these diets that hide calorie deficits behind wonky food restrictions, that when it's over the person has no idea what actually caused the whole thing to occur, and is therefore lost on maintaining.
However, you would think that "going back to eating exactly what made me fat to begin with" would be at the top of the list of things not to do, but c'est la vie.6 -
It wasn't even a "study", it was a survey of 1500 people. A survey has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with "what science says". And the "study" was funded by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
LOL. LOLOL.
LOL it was just another one of these "articles" to make people feel as though their obesity is okay because they can't control it. With vanity sizing, fat movement, etc, I bet they will even up the BMI standards of overweight since 66% of the populaton is overweight/obese. It is the new "normal", which peeves me to no end.2 -
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jennifer_417 wrote: »There are a metric crapton of theories about why people can't lose weight. The simple truth is that people DON'T, because it's HARD.
I'd argue that it's not hard at all. It just requires effort, and people hate that. We live in a point in history and a place in the world where even many poor people live lives of extreme comfort that royalty of even 100 years ago couldn't have imagined. The idea that not everything is just handed to you -- that you might actually have to try -- is anathema to many.
Throughout all of history, and even today in many places, the acquisition of food and proper nourishment has been a constant struggle between life and death. And yet we have people on this very board claiming that they can't stop eating, can't eat less, can't lose weight.
It's repulsive.
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I can see how the article makes some sense though.
Speaking for myself only, I come from a family of amazons and linebackers on BOTH sides and going back to at least my great grandparents based on photos. And my family is huge (farm folk for a long time). My 5'6" grandmother is the short one in the family.
Now speaking for my mom, dad aunts and uncles-- all played sports and were big and muscular, broad shouldered, and well endowed lol With age and less activity, many are just big and fat OR big and solid/thick.
EX: I have an uncle who is 6'4 and like 285, very muscular but somehow still has a gut. How?!! Anyway, that's just how we are. And we've all been technically obese since at 16. That's why we always got pulled for sports in school.
Speaking for myself, when I am happy and active, it's so easy for me to muscle up and get strong. It's the losing fat that is slow -- but that could be metabolism. I'll find out soon. When I'm sad and inactive, I gain weight quickly even if I'm too depressed to eat. I am 6ft tall and at 185 pounds, my rib cage shows so my goal weight is an even 200. My 8 year old son is 4'7" and 95 pounds with nothing to worry about according to the docs because he's very active and just solidly built.
Diet-wise, my only weakness is ice cream so I just skip that section of stores. I eat baked and pan seared fish and poultry mostly, and the occasional pot roast and meat loaf. Ther aren't enough veggies in my life admittedly. Most of my family doesn't eat this way and are bigger and less healthy. I get teased at times for my "weird" foods, meanwhile, they have diabetes, high BP -- things I don't have (yet I'm still fat).
So... there's my novel. tl;dr = Some people are meant to be big. Not morbidly obese, but they're meant to be big and I reckon it's easier for them to become obese. They definitely don't have to stay obese, but the getting there is so easy for a lot of people and diet isn't always the deciding factor to their losing weight and they don't put in the harder work of exercising. (I can't just diet. I HAVE to exercise hard to lose weight)
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BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I just saw this article in the New York Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/health/americans-obesity-willpower-genetics-study.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-2&action=click&contentCollection=Health®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article&_r=0
I don't generally tend to put much stock in what the NYT says, but is it possible that obesity can't be helped by willpower? Should we bother to try to lose weight? My first thought about this is that it's a load of crap, but if it's what science says how can I dispute it?
its a load of crap,if its genetic then I should have never gained weight and became obese(both my parents were of average weight and height),my grandparents were of average weight and height,and so on.so yeah its bullcrap. and for that matter my one child should not be overweight/obese either.5 -
I do think genes play a role in the way we are made but willpower over the food we choose & hard work triumph.2
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »its a load of crap,if its genetic then I should have never gained weight and became obese(both my parents were of average weight and height),my grandparents were of average weight and height,and so on.so yeah its bullcrap. and for that matter my one child should not be overweight/obese either.
That really isn't the way genetics works, though. Well, it does sometimes, but not always.
Your genes dictated that you would have things like fingers, and five of them on each hand. And that's pretty inescapable. Also, stuff like you'll have cell walls and require oxygen.
But a lot of how genetics work doesn't involve "set in stone" or "pre-detemined." If it was like you described, everybody would always be exactly the same weight as all of their ancestors. Often, it's more like how some genes give some people resistance to certain diseases, but don't make those people immune.1 -
NorthCascades wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »its a load of crap,if its genetic then I should have never gained weight and became obese(both my parents were of average weight and height),my grandparents were of average weight and height,and so on.so yeah its bullcrap. and for that matter my one child should not be overweight/obese either.
That really isn't the way genetics works, though. Well, it does sometimes, but not always.
Your genes dictated that you would have things like fingers, and five of them on each hand. And that's pretty inescapable. Also, stuff like you'll have cell walls and require oxygen.
But a lot of how genetics work doesn't involve "set in stone" or "pre-detemined." If it was like you described, everybody would always be exactly the same weight as all of their ancestors. Often, it's more like how some genes give some people resistance to certain diseases, but don't make those people immune.
Im not saying the same weights and stuff. ok like my health issue is genetic. and asthma which I also have can be genetic as well. I know what genetics are but my point is these studies(including this one) more or less say if your parents are fat/obese then you most likely will be as those conditions are inherited. they have said that since I can remember in the 70s. I know its not genetic either as my grandma on my moms side had 3 kids ,2 stick thin and the other (my aunt),heavy set. I know our body type and size can be genetic traits,I know how we are built can be genetic(wide shoulders,etc). I also know eye color can be a genetic trait.as for genes some things are passed down to each child,while others may skip one kid and hit another.or skip generations for that matter.1 -
Look who funded the study: the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery,ladyreva78 wrote: »Something in that article just rubs me wrong.
I do agree that most GPs don't get enough training in nutrition and in how to deal with obesity (my previous GP's advice was: cut out fat...). But from this to say that doctors are 'negligent' for not suggesting a major surgical intervention as if it were a small matter (and not something that permanently changes a body with no possibility of reversal) is just wrong. Surgery (any surgery) should always be a last resort due to all the possible complications.1 -
BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I just saw this article in the New York Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/health/americans-obesity-willpower-genetics-study.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-2&action=click&contentCollection=Health®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article&_r=0
I don't generally tend to put much stock in what the NYT says, but is it possible that obesity can't be helped by willpower? Should we bother to try to lose weight? My first thought about this is that it's a load of crap, but if it's what science says how can I dispute it?
@BrunetteRunner87 weight gain is seldom a will power factor in my view. For some physical/mental reason we over eat. Often due to failing health for some reason we may eat more to get more energy or comfort.
The first step to lose weight may best be to learn the physical/mental reason we over eat.2 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I just saw this article in the New York Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/health/americans-obesity-willpower-genetics-study.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-2&action=click&contentCollection=Health®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article&_r=0
I don't generally tend to put much stock in what the NYT says, but is it possible that obesity can't be helped by willpower? Should we bother to try to lose weight? My first thought about this is that it's a load of crap, but if it's what science says how can I dispute it?
@BrunetteRunner87 weight gain is seldom a will power factor in my view. For some physical/mental reason we over eat. Often due to failing health for some reason we may eat more to get more energy or comfort.
The first step to lose weight may best be to learn the physical/mental reason we over eat.
How many of the 66% of the US population that is overweight or obese do you think had failing health before getting overweight?7 -
stevencloser wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I just saw this article in the New York Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/health/americans-obesity-willpower-genetics-study.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-2&action=click&contentCollection=Health®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article&_r=0
I don't generally tend to put much stock in what the NYT says, but is it possible that obesity can't be helped by willpower? Should we bother to try to lose weight? My first thought about this is that it's a load of crap, but if it's what science says how can I dispute it?
@BrunetteRunner87 weight gain is seldom a will power factor in my view. For some physical/mental reason we over eat. Often due to failing health for some reason we may eat more to get more energy or comfort.
The first step to lose weight may best be to learn the physical/mental reason we over eat.
How many of the 66% of the US population that is overweight or obese do you think had failing health before getting overweight?
Considering the childhood obesity rates, I'm sure a good chunk of those live in bodies that have never not been fat.1 -
I read technology has advanced to the point where they can sequins genes.8 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I just saw this article in the New York Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/health/americans-obesity-willpower-genetics-study.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-2&action=click&contentCollection=Health®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article&_r=0
I don't generally tend to put much stock in what the NYT says, but is it possible that obesity can't be helped by willpower? Should we bother to try to lose weight? My first thought about this is that it's a load of crap, but if it's what science says how can I dispute it?
@BrunetteRunner87 weight gain is seldom a will power factor in my view. For some physical/mental reason we over eat. Often due to failing health for some reason we may eat more to get more energy or comfort.
The first step to lose weight may best be to learn the physical/mental reason we over eat.
How many of the 66% of the US population that is overweight or obese do you think had failing health before getting overweight?
Considering the childhood obesity rates, I'm sure a good chunk of those live in bodies that have never not been fat.
Gale's argument seems to be that people can't help overeating because their failing health makes them do it. That ignores the fact that for the most part the failing health is CAUSED by the overweight/obesity. There is no evidence that bad health causes people on average to get fat or that it is the reason for the huge increase in US obesity rate. It's that that seems to me to be an effort to say that people are not responsible for the fact they became overweight or have no control over it.4 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Gallowmere1984 wrote: »stevencloser wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »BrunetteRunner87 wrote: »I just saw this article in the New York Times today:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/health/americans-obesity-willpower-genetics-study.html?&moduleDetail=section-news-2&action=click&contentCollection=Health®ion=Footer&module=MoreInSection&version=WhatsNext&contentID=WhatsNext&pgtype=article&_r=0
I don't generally tend to put much stock in what the NYT says, but is it possible that obesity can't be helped by willpower? Should we bother to try to lose weight? My first thought about this is that it's a load of crap, but if it's what science says how can I dispute it?
@BrunetteRunner87 weight gain is seldom a will power factor in my view. For some physical/mental reason we over eat. Often due to failing health for some reason we may eat more to get more energy or comfort.
The first step to lose weight may best be to learn the physical/mental reason we over eat.
How many of the 66% of the US population that is overweight or obese do you think had failing health before getting overweight?
Considering the childhood obesity rates, I'm sure a good chunk of those live in bodies that have never not been fat.
Gale's argument seems to be that people can't help overeating because their failing health makes them do it. That ignores the fact that for the most part the failing health is CAUSED by the overweight/obesity. There is no evidence that bad health causes people on average to get fat or that it is the reason for the huge increase in US obesity rate. It's that that seems to me to be an effort to say that people are not responsible for the fact they became overweight or have no control over it.
Oh, I know what he was saying, and I was by no means validating it. My statement was merely point of fact to Anvil's response. I can't help but wonder if we're eventually headed for a point where obesity related diseases are just considered part of human existence, due to the fact that so many are fat as *kitten* before they even hit puberty.2 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Genetic predisposition doesn't put the excess calories in your mouth.
You have agency here, do you just sit back and accept your fate? I don't get this line of thinking with the genetic argument for obesity.
No one thinks that a genetically caused cancer should go untreated, but if it's obesity? Well, then it's okay!
BAM. /thread5 -
It's far more complicated than some people will believe. If you're obese or overweight, the automatic assumption by a lot of people is that you're over eating or lazy or don't care or don't make an effort to lose weight. As someone who has a (diagnosed) metabolic issue, it's a little different.
You can't just plug your numbers into one of the many calculators out there and get a TDEE and then pull 20% off of that and start losing weight. It is possible to lose weight for me with my condition, but it's extremely slow and has a severe deficit in order to happen.
I'm not lazy or uneducated or not willing to put in the hard work, but I do wish that people wouldn't paint everyone with the same brush and call it a day. You don't have to understand the challenges some people face, but you also don't have to assume that you know their story or how they might be tackling this for their body and circumstances.8
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