what is the truth?

I have been told by family that I inherited my Mack truck rear end and large chest from both grandmothers and will never get rid of it.

Well, I did once before and I can do it again. I don't think it's genetic at all. I think it all has to do with putting down the fork.

Excuses are blah, blah, and more blah. There isn't any such thing as a "bad metabolism". Did the metabolism kicked a sick puppy and need to be punished? Everything you listed is a BS excuse and the never ending blame game. Being overweight isn't genetic. If my sons were overweight and their pediatrician said something that stupid to me I would have fired his or her *kitten* on the spot. Overweight children look like their overweight parents because of a lack of education in terms of health and nutrition. Diets do not work and that is the reason your friends’ attempts failed over and over. The reasons people don't lose weight are because they eat too much food and medical reasons. Medical reasons do not mean people can't lose. It means people have another battle to fight. However, once they get the correct combination of medicine, food, and exercise then they will lose the weight, even if it is slow.

Yes, the obese parents modeled eating habits for the child. Yes, there's probably a genetic component to where and how quickly we put on fat or gain muscle. But I don't believe the genetic component is a big part of the problem. Every year my relatives keep getting fatter, and I keep getting thinner. I'm sure there's an impulse control part of the brain somewhere that might be under-expressed in some families. But again, if I was doomed to be as fat as my family, then I would be as fat as my family. I used to be, but I fought to lose it. Every day I fight to make a different choice. Everyone in the industrialized nations can make a different choice.

Habit is a huge problem. You develop habits as a child - if you see somebody else eating something, or often, you do it too. By the time you care for yourself, the habit is firmly entrenched and hard to escape from. So it seems genetic - your mom is chubby and you are too, but it's just a bad habit.

There are external factors for some people - thyroid conditions are one I am all too familiar with that can cause problems, particularly if undiagnosed. Gluten intolerance, too, is on the rise. Does this mean people with thyroid issues will always be overweight? No, it means that they need to learn what their body needs and will use and adjust their lifestyle accordingly. For example, they might not need as much caloric intake as somebody without the same medical problem.

Honestly, most obese people blame genetics because it's easier. I have severe hypothyroidism, and weight gain is one of many symptoms. Is it controllable? Yes, I must take my medication and avoid specific foods. And if I gain, I must go to the doctor with a food diary and see if a particular item caused the issue. Does it mean I won't lose weight? Nope. Now that I'm properly medicated and working at it, I'm down 5 pounds in a few weeks of careful changes to my eating habits and specific types of exercise.

Very few people have a fast or a slow metabolism. Most people have an average metabolism and are overweight because of bad habits.

When I was pregnant I read that overweight parents will most likely have overweight children. That is when my husband and I decided to change our eating and exercise habits, because we don't want to pass on those bad habits to our son.