Is it greed or is it genetics? Why are you fat?

Overeating. I don't think it has anything to do with genetics. When there are families that are all overweight, it's due to lifestyle, not genetics.

I don't think genetics has anything to do with it or if it does it is such a small factor in weight gain or such a small percentage of the population where it's a large amount weight, that it shouldn't be considered
A lot of people in my family are overweight, but it's definitely not related to our genes, it is what and how we eat and who we learn our behaviours from, so it may be inherited but not by DNA.

I too am an emotional eater (for any emotion unfortunately) and that coping strategy also comes from (as most coping strategies do) from early childhood. I had the added issue of learning a lot of maladaptive coping strategies and for a long time, eating for comfort was the least damaging path to take.

Someone Posted this recently by Kernel Mag - I am not convinced that they aren't just journalistic trolls, but it is an interesting read - You Eat too Much
http://www.kernelmag.com/features/report/6051/you-eat-too-much/

Then on the flip side there is this from one of the lesser 'controlled' media points in Australia
The overweight live longer
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2012/11/09/obesity-paradox-studies-find-overweight-live-longer

Also Kernel Mag's opinion on the matter aside I think that the media portrayal of what we should look like does play a big part in it. There are a lot of studies that show that if you never start a diet (attempt to lose weight) --> you never need to (ie you will just stay the same weight). My first diet was when my mum dragged me as a 14 year old (at my current height 5ft2 weighing 47kg (103lbs)??!!! to weigh less - I wore a size B bra and had hips and that was so fat for a 14yr old?! - Not to mention that she was 5ft8 and weighed 54kg(118lbs)??!!! - My dad called her "fats". Both of us have been dieting ever since and pretty much never weighed again what we did when we started.

So I think far to many young girls, mothers and I know many men and boys attempt to lose weight when they don't need too, and because mostly the loudest diets out there then and now are total rubbish fads, get into a cycle we never get out of.

I won't even start on the whole Religion thing... I was brought up as a Muslim and Ramadaan (one month of fasting entire days(no water) - [as a child playing sport] ?! but having breakfast and dinner before sunrise and after sunset followed by days of feasting?!) I am no longer religious - but that certainly did not teach me anything healthy about my relationship with food.

edited - long post. = lots of errors

It's both.

Eating (or breathing for that matter) are behaviors. We choose to eat. We choose to breath (the conscious act).

As an MFP user, I have learned to control what and how much I eat so as not to gain my weight back. As a FreeDiver (SCUBA diving without a tank), I have learned to hold my breath much longer than the average person.

However, I can not keep myself from eating when the hunger pains are great, and I can not keep from taking a breath when my blood oxygen drops too low.

We are pre-programmed (call it instinct, call it genetics, call it bacon, what ever, it is real) to want to eat and breath as evidenced by hunger pains and that tightness in your chest when you hold your breath.

So...as a behavior, we should be able to control eating and breathing. But since it is also instinctual (i.e. genetics), it may not be as controllable as those "personal responsibility types who've never studied chemistry and genetics would have you believe. Google the sport gene. It is a genetic condition where the person with the gene has 2 to 3 times more red blood cells in the blood, and can thus endure exertion for greater periods of time (e.g. marathon endurance) than those without the sport gene version of the DNA)

But individuals who can NOT keep from eating until they pass out for lack of calories are unable to override the pre-programming. Likewise, very few people (ok maybe a few problem kids) can hold their breaths until they turn blue in the face and pass out for lack of oxygen. These are examples of where humans are not able to control their pre-programmed behavior.

IMHO.....these behaviors are both instinctual (genetic) and learned. Some folks find it harder to resist the hunger pains. Some folks have to take a breath way sooner than I do. Learned? Inherited (what is instinct, if it is not inherited via genetics?)?

So now my simple answer to the simple question: It's both greed (I interpret this to mean conscious behavior) and genetics.

I don't like the title of your post. The words "greed" and "fat" are quite negative.

For me it's neither. It could be both. I come from a family of big people who overeat and don't exercise. Sometimes that cake was so good, I want another piece. Call that greed if you want, but I don't think of it that way while I'm looking at the cake

Mostly, my overweight-ness is me not paying attention to what I'm eating (or keeping track) and procrastinating on exercise. You could call it ignorance and procrastination, with a little bit of "greed" and genetics thrown in.

We are responsible for our actions, including what we eat and do (shrug). All people are different and the level of work it takes to become or stay fit varies with the colors of the rainbow.

Although there are genes that determine, for example, our predisposition to preferring high fat food, I don't believe they can really be blamed for people being overweight. Families of overweight individuals pass down their predisposition to poor choices as an environmental factor, rather than a genetic one, in the vast majority of cases. Even if you inherit these genes, you can override them by making sensible choices.

Personally, I put on weight due to a variety of health issues, medications, and poor choices. Eating too much for my reduced activity level (due to the health issues) being the major issue!

Saying people are fat because of greed it the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I don't think it is all genetics either. I think there are a lot reasons and anyone who tries to put it into two categories is like saying all fish are perch.

Mainly me being lazy and eating too much... but my mom is overweight (majorly) and so I have the genetics from both sides too ....

Looking at my siblings we are all overweight. Is this genetic? No. We were thin growing up..how was that possible...because WE MOVED! We were active. We always had abundance of good food but my mom kicked outside to play and play we did from morning to night. As an adult I becsme lazy...I got a desk job...and the movement ceased. Now I am working on reversing that trend and trying to get MOVING . Currently fitbit is the push I needed. MFP is the support I crave. Good luck everyone!:happy:

Overeating. Whether it's because my genetics make me want to eat more or not though, I have no idea. So I'd say that obviously we're fat because we eat too much, but who knows what makes us love food more than other people.

Genetics is a minor factor. Yes there are some that have strong hormonal issues, but for the general public, that's not the reason they get obese.
It comes down to the lifestyle they learned about eating. Have a family that eats huge portions or very calorie dense foods, practically everyone is going to be big. Vice versa for lean families.

So it's not likely that genetics are the problem.

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