Predisposition towards obesity is genetic

Please, people, don't make the mistake of generalizing to yourself to say
"because I am obese I am genetically predisposed." In other words can do
nothing about it. Because overweight does not run on either side of my
family and I am the only one of 3 children who has been overweight most of
her life. And when I was not overweight, it was because I was getting
plenty of exercise. It has always been true for me that if I can force
myself to exercise, I have lower weight. And overweight does not run on
either side of my family. So with me, it is a behavioral thing and not a
genetic thing.

"Ignoramus22273" wrote in message
...
Before people start flaming me without thinking, let me preface this
excerpt from a study with this.

Predisposition towards obesity is genetic. It turns into obesity by
environment (too much food, wrong food and lack of exercise). Pima
indians were not fat 300 years ago (we think). Predisposition can be
overcome, sometimes, by diet and exercise.

But, people blaming their childhood home environment for their
obesity, may be wrong. According to the article, ``a number of studies
have described a closer relationship between the weights of adoptees
and their biological parents rather than their adoptive parents''. So,
environment in adoptive homes did not have nearly as much effect on
adoptees, compared to who was their biological parent.

A question that is open is this. As parents, we try to create some
sort of healthy environment for our children, so that they grow up as
fit people. Are our efforts statistically doomed to be irrelevant to
their final health? It is hard to believe, and does not, strictly
speaking, follow from the adoptee finding, but it is a disconcerting
thought.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
read this and weep...


http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/paed/medic...cs_obesity.htm

``Studies in twins, adoptees and families indicate that as much as 80%
of the variance in the body mass index is attributable to genetic
factors. Twin studies suggest a heritability of fat mass of between
40-70%. Concordance between monozygotic twins is 0.7-0.9, compared to
0.35-0.45 between dizygotic twins. While these associations may in
part be explained by sharing the same childhood environment, a number
of studies have described a closer relationship between the weights of
adoptees and their biological parents rather than their adoptive
parents. These genetic influences are not confined to the extremes of
obesity, but exert their effect across the whole range of body weight
and are consistent with a polygenic inheritance of fat mass.

The potential implication of genetic factors in the development of
human obesity is well demonstrated by the description of six monogenic
forms of the pathological human obesity to date. These genes encode
proteins of the leptin axis and brain-expressed targets of leptin
involved in the melanocortin pathway. They include leptin, the leptin
receptor, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), proconvertase 1 (PC1),
Peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor g2 (PPARg2), and the
melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R). Except for MC4-R, mutations in these
genes cause rare, recessive, syndromic forms of obesity, associated
with multiple endocrine abnormalities. ''

Why is it that all of these words seem to always have the same meaning: fat,
overweight, obese, unfit?


Ignoramus22273 wrote:
:: Before people start flaming me without thinking, let me preface this
:: excerpt from a study with this.
::
:: Predisposition towards obesity is genetic. It turns into obesity by
:: environment (too much food, wrong food and lack of exercise). Pima
:: indians were not fat 300 years ago (we think). Predisposition can be
:: overcome, sometimes, by diet and exercise.
::
:: But, people blaming their childhood home environment for their
:: obesity, may be wrong. According to the article, ``a number of
:: studies have described a closer relationship between the weights of
:: adoptees and their biological parents rather than their adoptive
:: parents''. So, environment in adoptive homes did not have nearly as
:: much effect on adoptees, compared to who was their biological parent.
::
:: A question that is open is this. As parents, we try to create some
:: sort of healthy environment for our children, so that they grow up as
:: fit people. Are our efforts statistically doomed to be irrelevant to
:: their final health? It is hard to believe, and does not, strictly
:: speaking, follow from the adoptee finding, but it is a disconcerting
:: thought.
::
:: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
:: read this and weep...
::
::
http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/paed/medic...cs_obesity.htm
::
:: ``Studies in twins, adoptees and families indicate that as much as
:: 80% of the variance in the body mass index is attributable to genetic
:: factors. Twin studies suggest a heritability of fat mass of between
:: 40-70%. Concordance between monozygotic twins is 0.7-0.9, compared
:: to
:: 0.35-0.45 between dizygotic twins. While these associations may in
:: part be explained by sharing the same childhood environment, a number
:: of studies have described a closer relationship between the weights
:: of adoptees and their biological parents rather than their adoptive
:: parents. These genetic influences are not confined to the extremes
:: of obesity, but exert their effect across the whole range of body
:: weight and are consistent with a polygenic inheritance of fat mass.
::
:: The potential implication of genetic factors in the development of
:: human obesity is well demonstrated by the description of six
:: monogenic forms of the pathological human obesity to date. These
:: genes encode proteins of the leptin axis and brain-expressed targets
:: of leptin involved in the melanocortin pathway. They include
:: leptin, the leptin receptor, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC),
:: proconvertase 1 (PC1), Peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor g2
:: (PPARg2), and the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R). Except for
:: MC4-R, mutations in these genes cause rare, recessive, syndromic
:: forms of obesity, associated with multiple endocrine abnormalities.
:: ''

In article ,
Ignoramus22273 wrote:

In article , Patricia Heil wrote:


Please, people, don't make the mistake of generalizing to yourself to say
"because I am obese I am genetically predisposed." In other words can do
nothing about it.

Being predisposed does not mean that I can do nothing about it. It
just means that I am predisposed.


There's lots of alcoholism in my family, so it's probable that I'm
genetically predisposed to be an alcoholic. Yet, I hate getting drunk so I
only have two beers once a week, over a 4 hour period. I think hating
being drunk is a personality trait, not a physiological one. There are
some fat people in my family, and the ones who aren't fat are _very_
strict, almost pathologically so, about what they eat. As soon as they
relax their eating a bit, say during pregnancy, they balloon up and have to
work extremely hard to get thin again. I think a genetic predisposition to
something isn't a given that it will happen to you, it just means you may
have to work harder to avoid it.

--
Michelle Levin
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick

I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws.

In article ,
Ignoramus22273 wrote:

In article , Patricia Heil wrote:


Please, people, don't make the mistake of generalizing to yourself to say
"because I am obese I am genetically predisposed." In other words can do
nothing about it.

Being predisposed does not mean that I can do nothing about it. It
just means that I am predisposed.


There's lots of alcoholism in my family, so it's probable that I'm
genetically predisposed to be an alcoholic. Yet, I hate getting drunk so I
only have two beers once a week, over a 4 hour period. I think hating
being drunk is a personality trait, not a physiological one. There are
some fat people in my family, and the ones who aren't fat are _very_
strict, almost pathologically so, about what they eat. As soon as they
relax their eating a bit, say during pregnancy, they balloon up and have to
work extremely hard to get thin again. I think a genetic predisposition to
something isn't a given that it will happen to you, it just means you may
have to work harder to avoid it.

--
Michelle Levin
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick

I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws.

It is genetic. We are genetically wired to eat diets with no
manufactured and refined carbohydrates.

TC

"Patricia Heil" wrote in message ...
Please, people, don't make the mistake of generalizing to yourself to say
"because I am obese I am genetically predisposed." In other words can do
nothing about it. Because overweight does not run on either side of my
family and I am the only one of 3 children who has been overweight most of
her life. And when I was not overweight, it was because I was getting
plenty of exercise. It has always been true for me that if I can force
myself to exercise, I have lower weight. And overweight does not run on
either side of my family. So with me, it is a behavioral thing and not a
genetic thing.

"Ignoramus22273" wrote in message
...
Before people start flaming me without thinking, let me preface this
excerpt from a study with this.

Predisposition towards obesity is genetic. It turns into obesity by
environment (too much food, wrong food and lack of exercise). Pima
indians were not fat 300 years ago (we think). Predisposition can be
overcome, sometimes, by diet and exercise.

But, people blaming their childhood home environment for their
obesity, may be wrong. According to the article, ``a number of studies
have described a closer relationship between the weights of adoptees
and their biological parents rather than their adoptive parents''. So,
environment in adoptive homes did not have nearly as much effect on
adoptees, compared to who was their biological parent.

A question that is open is this. As parents, we try to create some
sort of healthy environment for our children, so that they grow up as
fit people. Are our efforts statistically doomed to be irrelevant to
their final health? It is hard to believe, and does not, strictly
speaking, follow from the adoptee finding, but it is a disconcerting
thought.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
read this and weep...


http://www.med.nus.edu.sg/paed/medic...cs_obesity.htm

``Studies in twins, adoptees and families indicate that as much as 80%
of the variance in the body mass index is attributable to genetic
factors. Twin studies suggest a heritability of fat mass of between
40-70%. Concordance between monozygotic twins is 0.7-0.9, compared to
0.35-0.45 between dizygotic twins. While these associations may in
part be explained by sharing the same childhood environment, a number
of studies have described a closer relationship between the weights of
adoptees and their biological parents rather than their adoptive
parents. These genetic influences are not confined to the extremes of
obesity, but exert their effect across the whole range of body weight
and are consistent with a polygenic inheritance of fat mass.

The potential implication of genetic factors in the development of
human obesity is well demonstrated by the description of six monogenic
forms of the pathological human obesity to date. These genes encode
proteins of the leptin axis and brain-expressed targets of leptin
involved in the melanocortin pathway. They include leptin, the leptin
receptor, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), proconvertase 1 (PC1),
Peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor g2 (PPARg2), and the
melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R). Except for MC4-R, mutations in these
genes cause rare, recessive, syndromic forms of obesity, associated
with multiple endocrine abnormalities. ''

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 10:41:47 -0400, "Patricia Heil"
wrote:

Please, people, don't make the mistake of generalizing to yourself to say
"because I am obese I am genetically predisposed."

Huh? If you are obese you ARE genetically predispoed. That doesn't
mean you can't do anything about it. If you're willing to eat much
less and exercise much more than the average person, it's very likely
you can keep your body weight at normal.

nothing about it. Because overweight does not run on either side of my
family and I am the only one of 3 children who has been overweight most of
her life. And when I was not overweight, it was because I was getting
plenty of exercise. It has always been true for me that if I can force
myself to exercise, I have lower weight. And overweight does not run on
either side of my family. So with me, it is a behavioral thing and not a
genetic thing.

Still a genetic thing. You don't need to see it in your family for you
to have a genetic difference from them. Did anyone else in your family
have thyroid cancer? Were your siblings only able to keep their body
weight low by exercise? Or were they just slender naturally.

People without a genetic predisposition to obesity just don't get fat.

Predisposition towards obesity is genetic. It turns into obesity by
environment (too much food, wrong food and lack of exercise). Pima
indians were not fat 300 years ago (we think). Predisposition can be
overcome, sometimes, by diet and exercise.

I know this getting into Ig's post, but Pima Indians are fat because
their traditional lifestyle was feast or famine. Like most Indians,
they didn't farm and foraged for food. Most of what they got was not
calorically dense. Don't think there are too many people willing to
eat a cactus every six months.

Also most Pima's aren't exactly rich, and so they eat the worst things
like fast-food, which vastly exacerbates the problem.

Pimas are the most studied obese people in the world, so there is
plenty of literature to establish that they have trouble keeping their
weight down even with good habits, but, it does help.

FWIW.


Barbara Hirsch, Publisher
OBESITY MEDS AND RESEARCH NEWS
The latest in obesity research and weight loss drug development
http://www.obesity-news.com/

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 10:41:47 -0400, "Patricia Heil"
wrote:

Please, people, don't make the mistake of generalizing to yourself to say
"because I am obese I am genetically predisposed."

Huh? If you are obese you ARE genetically predispoed. That doesn't
mean you can't do anything about it. If you're willing to eat much
less and exercise much more than the average person, it's very likely
you can keep your body weight at normal.

nothing about it. Because overweight does not run on either side of my
family and I am the only one of 3 children who has been overweight most of
her life. And when I was not overweight, it was because I was getting
plenty of exercise. It has always been true for me that if I can force
myself to exercise, I have lower weight. And overweight does not run on
either side of my family. So with me, it is a behavioral thing and not a
genetic thing.

Still a genetic thing. You don't need to see it in your family for you
to have a genetic difference from them. Did anyone else in your family
have thyroid cancer? Were your siblings only able to keep their body
weight low by exercise? Or were they just slender naturally.

People without a genetic predisposition to obesity just don't get fat.

Predisposition towards obesity is genetic. It turns into obesity by
environment (too much food, wrong food and lack of exercise). Pima
indians were not fat 300 years ago (we think). Predisposition can be
overcome, sometimes, by diet and exercise.

I know this getting into Ig's post, but Pima Indians are fat because
their traditional lifestyle was feast or famine. Like most Indians,
they didn't farm and foraged for food. Most of what they got was not
calorically dense. Don't think there are too many people willing to
eat a cactus every six months.

Also most Pima's aren't exactly rich, and so they eat the worst things
like fast-food, which vastly exacerbates the problem.

Pimas are the most studied obese people in the world, so there is
plenty of literature to establish that they have trouble keeping their
weight down even with good habits, but, it does help.

FWIW.


Barbara Hirsch, Publisher
OBESITY MEDS AND RESEARCH NEWS
The latest in obesity research and weight loss drug development
http://www.obesity-news.com/

Also most Pima's aren't exactly rich, and so they eat the worst things
like fast-food, which vastly exacerbates the problem.
Pimas are the most studied obese people in the world, so there is
plenty of literature to establish that they have trouble keeping their
weight down even with good habits, but, it does help.

Pima Indians also have one of the highest rates of Type II Diabetes in the
world. 50% of all adults are affected.

Tom
210/180/180

Also most Pima's aren't exactly rich, and so they eat the worst things
like fast-food, which vastly exacerbates the problem.
Pimas are the most studied obese people in the world, so there is
plenty of literature to establish that they have trouble keeping their
weight down even with good habits, but, it does help.

Pima Indians also have one of the highest rates of Type II Diabetes in the
world. 50% of all adults are affected.

Tom
210/180/180

"tcomeau" wrote in message
om...
It is genetic. We are genetically wired to eat diets with no
manufactured and refined carbohydrates.

TC

Well said.

Tom
210/180/180