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Genetics and weight

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  • Fyreside
    Fyreside Posts: 444 Member
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    There is quite a lot of evidence to suggest a strong genetic link to bone size and density. And more specifically hereditary traits that exist alongside environmental and behavioral factors. A look at osteoporosis research will lead you to some scientific data.

    I found out the hard way that some people really do just have thicker "bigger" bones, and I have the Xrays and MRI's to prove it lol. In my case, my "unusually thick bones" cause me to have an "unusually thin spinal canal." So when I experienced swelling in my spinal cord that may not have effected many people, in my case it caused Acute transverse myelitis. *Quotes from my neurosurgeon.

    But of course, as almost everyone here has noted, big bones have nothing to do with being overweight or one's ability to maintain a healthy size.
  • maryannprt
    maryannprt Posts: 152 Member
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    bmeadows380 wrote: »
    RayofShreya wrote: »
    I’m a genetic specialist. I work in genomics and whole genome sequencing. Genetics plays some role. The way our body distributes fat and predisposition to medical conditions that can cause weight gain can be familial. This include hypothyroid, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, early onset high cholesterol. Other things such as body structure, metabolism etc are things we are born with. We haven’t identified one gene that leads to more fat gain. Ilmultiple genes interact with each other and the environment to cause some people to have more problems losing weight. For example, early diabetes and thyroid problems have led to rapid weight gain in many members of my
    Family leading to extremely slow and difficult weight loss.

    Thank you for this! Finding out that there IS a genuine genetic proponent to my obesity and difficulty in losing weight is a relief. I hate when I see posts and comments on "if you'd just shut your pie hole and get off the couch, you'd lose weight!" or "just eat less and exercise more, and it will come off". Getting those comments can be very disheartening, especially when I AM eating less and exercising more, but my body seems to be fighting me every step of the way.

    So knowing that genetics could be making it more difficult for me to lose weight than someone else with a different make up does help me in that I can see that it's not necessarily that I'm doing something wrong in only losing 1 lb a week when the calculator says that at my intake level and exercise level, I should be losing 2 lbs a week. And it goes a long way in explaining why I have to slash my calorie limit by 100 below the most conservative calculator results I can find to see the right results.
    RayofShreya wrote: »
    Genetics plays a role but luckily it’s not deterministic and living a healthy lifestyle will usually trump a lot of the genetic factors. That’s the good news!
    We have more power than we think :)

    I also think this is key. Genetics DOES play a part in how easily a person gains weight and how difficult it is for them to lose it, but it doesn't make it impossible to lose weight. And I have found that out personally in this round of weight loss.

    It just frustrates me because I have family members, such as my sister, who uses genetics as their excuse to not bother even trying, instead of admitting that its a matter of the will and the fact they just flat out doesn't want to eat healthier foods. My sister refuses to accept that while our family has a genetic predisposition toward heart disease and diabetes, that eating a healthy diet and working to get to a healthy weight can really help us either not slide into those issues or at least delay the onset and lessen the severity. She makes the claim that her body weight has nothing to do with the fact that she's got high cholesterol and is diabetic, or that the fact that she eats fatty, fried foods at several meals, and prefers chicken nuggets and popcorn shrimp to grilled chicken breast or a fillet of fish has anything to do with her poor health. As far as she concerned, her poor diet is not at fault at all; its simply her "genetics" and its inevitable, whether she ate better and lost some weight or not.

    The fact that we DO have a family genetic tendency toward those things and realizing that the older I get, the higher my risks of developing them becomes is what finally motivated me into trying actively to lose weight again - I'm nearing that 40 mark and realized that that's the age when most of my family started having those health issues, and that I really, really, really didn't want to become diabetic yet if I could help it. I realized that while all my health markers are fine NOW, and have been fine for all the years that I've been obese, that doesn't mean that they'll continue to be fine as I enter middle age. And seeing the health issues my family is dealing with as they get older was a wake up call for me.

    I don't know if I'll succeed in getting into a healthy weight range, but I figure the more I lose, the better off I am, right? yeah, right now my BMI is around 42, but that's worlds better than when it was 57!

    In fairness, your sister's diet may have little to do with her cholesterol levels. I have friends with the same diet. They eat breakfast and dinner together most days and take turns packing work lunches. Her cholesterol is fine. His is through the roof. She's a little chubby, he's skinny as a rail. They changed their diet to try to bring down his cholesterol. Hers came down even lower, his didn't really change at all. Having said that, a genetic predisposition is not the biggest factor for most of us, and if it is, it's even more important to control the things we can. Best of luck to you. All you can do is hope your sister gets it before it's too late for her.
  • FAAB_too
    FAAB_too Posts: 67 Member
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    I think genetics play a role in as such as some people have to work harder to stay slim or even to gain weight than others but anyone can do it no matter what their genetic make up is.
  • bmeadows380
    bmeadows380 Posts: 2,981 Member
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    maryannprt wrote: »
    In fairness, your sister's diet may have little to do with her cholesterol levels. I have friends with the same diet. They eat breakfast and dinner together most days and take turns packing work lunches. Her cholesterol is fine. His is through the roof. She's a little chubby, he's skinny as a rail. They changed their diet to try to bring down his cholesterol. Hers came down even lower, his didn't really change at all. Having said that, a genetic predisposition is not the biggest factor for most of us, and if it is, it's even more important to control the things we can. Best of luck to you. All you can do is hope your sister gets it before it's too late for her.

    True, and I do know that there is a major genetic component that trends in families to give folks a disposition towards certain things.

    However, being that she has several factors that would give her a disposition toward certain health conditions, she needs to do whatever she can to mitigate those genetic biases, not worsen the situation by over-eating foods that exasperate the health problems.

    You are right - the best answer is to control the things she can, which includes making healthier food choices. But she doesn't; she doesn't want to eat better or healthier or limit her portions because she thinks that's "starving" herself and frankly, she just doesn't care enough to want to be healthier, so she's using the "its inevitable because its my genetics" as her excuse to not bother trying.

    I know I can't lecture her on it especially because any hint of what she might even consider a lecture, whether it was truly intended to be so or spoken out of loving concern, just causes her to become even more stubborn and to tune a person out. If she doesn't want to hear what is being said, she just refuses to listen, and that's the point she's at when it comes to her bad health and weight. And unfortunately, my example hasn't made a bit of difference in her attitude; she still thinks she can't do it herself when it's not a matter of "can't"; its a matter of "won't". She simply doesn't want to expend the effort or discipline it requires, so she moans about wanting to lose weight, but refuses to make little adjustments like limiting portion sizes, and instead continues searching for a quick cure like a diet pill or "apple cider vinegar" and such. I just pray that she finally gets to the point where she wants to bad enough before she has a major health crisis like a stroke or heart attack :disappointed:
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    JustDoIt987 wrote: »
    Hey guys ! Sorry for asking another question , but today a friend of mine said '' I can never be slim , my parents are both big boned''
    My question is : Do genetics determine your weight ?
    If someone's 'natural weight' is 130lbs , can they get to a lower weight and healthily maintain it ?

    It depends on whether the person is saying that while 50 lbs overweight, or is within a normal BMI range and just can't attain a slimmer model-esque physique.

    I will never be as "slim" as my sister, even though we are the same height, because she has a different bone structure, (narrower shoulders and hip placement) but I am a healthy weight and am successful in maintaining it after decades of obesity.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    Original question: My question is : Do genetics determine your weight ?
    If someone's 'natural weight' is 130lbs , can they get to a lower weight and healthily maintain it ?"

    Everyone seems to be assuming we are talking about obesity when talking about weight. I was curious if that's what the OP is really asking? Because it does not necessarily follow.

    Being slim, or weighing a certain amount, if we are just talking about that specifically, and NOT obesity - I would say yes absolutely genetics will determine that.

    If you take 5 people with the same height, who get in the most optimal shape of their lives...they are not going to weigh the same, nor be the same size. The size of their bones, and the structural alignment of them, will play a role in this, even ignoring any other factors. I mean, we all know that - we're all different shapes and sizes, at a base level.

    I mean, I have a friend who is in amazing shape, a great athlete. She does NOT look thin, however. She looks like a little spark plug, because that's the bones she has - wide hips and shoulders, and very short torso with almost no room for a waist to hip change in size. She has ALWAYS looked this way. She is always a bit heavier than her fellow friends in similar shape, because she literally has a different body shape, due to genetics. She will NEVER look slender because she quite literally can't.

    She is, as people would call it, big boned. Nearly no fat, but wider than many women who have a lot more fat than she does, you know?

    So with that in mind, if one was to call a certain weight - let's say the 'in shape' weight - of someone their 'natural weight,' it would be very difficult to get a lower weight than that. Potentially impossible to do so if they were in peak condition, at least and maintain it in a healthy way, I would think.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
    edited November 2017
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    bmeadows380 wrote: »
    maryannprt wrote: »
    In fairness, your sister's diet may have little to do with her cholesterol levels. I have friends with the same diet. They eat breakfast and dinner together most days and take turns packing work lunches. Her cholesterol is fine. His is through the roof. She's a little chubby, he's skinny as a rail. They changed their diet to try to bring down his cholesterol. Hers came down even lower, his didn't really change at all. Having said that, a genetic predisposition is not the biggest factor for most of us, and if it is, it's even more important to control the things we can. Best of luck to you. All you can do is hope your sister gets it before it's too late for her.

    True, and I do know that there is a major genetic component that trends in families to give folks a disposition towards certain things.

    However, being that she has several factors that would give her a disposition toward certain health conditions, she needs to do whatever she can to mitigate those genetic biases, not worsen the situation by over-eating foods that exasperate the health problems.

    You are right - the best answer is to control the things she can, which includes making healthier food choices. But she doesn't; she doesn't want to eat better or healthier or limit her portions because she thinks that's "starving" herself and frankly, she just doesn't care enough to want to be healthier, so she's using the "its inevitable because its my genetics" as her excuse to not bother trying.

    I know I can't lecture her on it especially because any hint of what she might even consider a lecture, whether it was truly intended to be so or spoken out of loving concern, just causes her to become even more stubborn and to tune a person out. If she doesn't want to hear what is being said, she just refuses to listen, and that's the point she's at when it comes to her bad health and weight. And unfortunately, my example hasn't made a bit of difference in her attitude; she still thinks she can't do it herself when it's not a matter of "can't"; its a matter of "won't". She simply doesn't want to expend the effort or discipline it requires, so she moans about wanting to lose weight, but refuses to make little adjustments like limiting portion sizes, and instead continues searching for a quick cure like a diet pill or "apple cider vinegar" and such. I just pray that she finally gets to the point where she wants to bad enough before she has a major health crisis like a stroke or heart attack :disappointed:

    I am completely in agreement with everything you guys said. I hate when people attribute it to "genetics" as being the reason they can't lose weight etc but then continue to eat too many calories and crappy foods.

    I just wanted to bring up something I found very interesting in case you haven't heard of it. There is actually a genetic mutation that can occur in families. Basically what it means is that they do not have the receptor to digest and breakdown LDL cholesterol so they have high cholesterol regardless of diet and overall health. Obviously it is very rare, but if you have this mutation you could have high cholesterol while eating a fantastic diet your entire life.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    bmeadows380 wrote: »
    maryannprt wrote: »
    In fairness, your sister's diet may have little to do with her cholesterol levels. I have friends with the same diet. They eat breakfast and dinner together most days and take turns packing work lunches. Her cholesterol is fine. His is through the roof. She's a little chubby, he's skinny as a rail. They changed their diet to try to bring down his cholesterol. Hers came down even lower, his didn't really change at all. Having said that, a genetic predisposition is not the biggest factor for most of us, and if it is, it's even more important to control the things we can. Best of luck to you. All you can do is hope your sister gets it before it's too late for her.

    True, and I do know that there is a major genetic component that trends in families to give folks a disposition towards certain things.

    However, being that she has several factors that would give her a disposition toward certain health conditions, she needs to do whatever she can to mitigate those genetic biases, not worsen the situation by over-eating foods that exasperate the health problems.

    You are right - the best answer is to control the things she can, which includes making healthier food choices. But she doesn't; she doesn't want to eat better or healthier or limit her portions because she thinks that's "starving" herself and frankly, she just doesn't care enough to want to be healthier, so she's using the "its inevitable because its my genetics" as her excuse to not bother trying.

    I know I can't lecture her on it especially because any hint of what she might even consider a lecture, whether it was truly intended to be so or spoken out of loving concern, just causes her to become even more stubborn and to tune a person out. If she doesn't want to hear what is being said, she just refuses to listen, and that's the point she's at when it comes to her bad health and weight. And unfortunately, my example hasn't made a bit of difference in her attitude; she still thinks she can't do it herself when it's not a matter of "can't"; its a matter of "won't". She simply doesn't want to expend the effort or discipline it requires, so she moans about wanting to lose weight, but refuses to make little adjustments like limiting portion sizes, and instead continues searching for a quick cure like a diet pill or "apple cider vinegar" and such. I just pray that she finally gets to the point where she wants to bad enough before she has a major health crisis like a stroke or heart attack :disappointed:

    I am completely in agreement with everything you guys said. I hate when people attribute it to "genetics" as being the reason they can't lose weight etc but then continue to eat too many calories and crappy foods.

    I just wanted to bring up something I found very interesting in case you haven't heard of it. There is actually a genetic mutation that can occur in families. Basically what it means is that they do not have the receptor to digest and breakdown LDL cholesterol so they have high cholesterol regardless of diet and overall health. Obviously it is very rare, but if you have this mutation you could have high cholesterol while eating a fantastic diet your entire life.

    yep I high cholesterol due to a genetic mutation. its called familial hypercholesterolemia. Its now in the normal ranges with meds and a low fat/low cholesterol diet. it means my liver and body does not break down cholesterol and fats like most people so what doesnt get used gets stored. so it can be lowered and be put into the normal ranges with just diet alone,but for me meds were needed.

    I still lose weight though albeit a lot slower than normal. where many can lose 1/2 lb a week with a 250 calorie deficit,I can do 1000 calorie deficit and only lose 1/2 a month. I even tried eating 1400 or less calories and weight loss is still slow,even not eating my exercise calories back. but weight gain seems to be quicker than normal as well.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    Thanks for explaining that @CharlieBeansmomTracey. I have known for a long time you lose at a slower rate than others, but never knew why.

    Cheers, h.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    middlehaitch wrote: »
    Thanks for explaining that @CharlieBeansmomTracey. I have known for a long time you lose at a slower rate than others, but never knew why.

    Cheers, h.

    you're welcome. yeah mine is slow and that has to be why. going to get back on track again because for me its so easy to fall off the wagon. and also for me water weight sticks around longer than it should as well even drinking a lot of water. but thats life I will keep going forward. dont want to go back to where I was thats for sure
  • jesspen91
    jesspen91 Posts: 1,383 Member
    edited November 2017
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    Yes because genetics determine body shape. I am predisposed to storing fat in my upper body. I will never have a six pack without also losing my already unimpressive bum and any fat or muscle on my thighs.

    I think there is a point where you need to be reaslitic bout what type of physique is achievable for you.

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