Genes or diet - which makes us fat?

[junkfoodmonkey]

I can't decide on this whether there really is "a gene for being fat." Plenty of people claim they are fat because their parents were too, and of course, there are medical conditions that cause weight gain. But in the absence of a diagnosable condition like that, does anyone really inherit obesity, or do we just inherit our parent's diet and/or attitude to food and make the same mistakes they did?

I'm thinking about this because of the recent story in the UK press, about a family living on state benefits, claiming they are too fat to work but that their condition is hereditary and not their fault. However all the stories about them seem to indicate they have a diet full of junk carbs and bad fats. If they were on a weight loss diet - any diet - and still fat maybe I'd be more convinced.

Family who are 'too fat to work' say £22,000 worth of benefits is not enough - Telegraph
A "stone" is 14lbs btw

I'm not going to vilify them here, they've had quite enough of that, and the country is full of people who eat the same way and don't know how to get off the cheap carbs merry-go-round. But it seems to me that blaming one's genes for being fat when there's no actual medical condition present is just an excuse to avoid the hard work of actually losing weight. It avoids responsibility for yourself. It's sad to see people doing that.

Now humans may indeed have a tendency to get fat, when there's an excess of calories around (and with sugar-laden, calorie-dense food a person doesn't have to eat a large volume of food to get too many calories.) We are space age cave people; our bodies evolved to live through plenty and scarcity alternately. Most of us here are living in places where scarcity is long gone.

But that still isn't the same as claiming being fat is hereditary, because your parents are. If you're all eating the same crappy diet, then that's the first place to look I'd have thought, before medicalising everything.

So I still don't know. My parents both had weight problems. My dad lost his weight after a heart attack and maintains on a low-cal, low-fat diet quite easily. Both his parents were very lean. I've been fat, but my brother and sister never were - or if they were briefly they soon lost it. So are they naturally lean and I'm naturally fat? Or was it diet and a couple of other issues? I was vegetarian for a decade, they never were, and had a diet very heavy in carbs - rice and bread especially.

What's your view? Do we inherit bad genes or bad diet?

[northernstar]

I don't doubt that there are genes that make one predisposed to weight gain or obesity. There are also a number of non-genetic conditions (ex thyroid issues) that can make it difficult to lose weight. However, physiologically it is not possible to gain weight without a surplus in calories. There is no fat gene, I just don't buy it.

Absolutely people pick up on eating habits from their parents & family. Who here eats much like they did when they lived with their parents? For those that don't, was it a conscious choice?

[dakotastyle]

I always said I had the "fat gene"...but I have finally lost 70-80 lbs (depending on the week)...I think your way of eating has a lot to do with it...and I think there are ways to lose the weight if you "desire" to...but Dr's and drug companies will always find a reason...so that they can sell you something...

Here are a few:
Researchers Discover Fat Gene

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1647517.ece

Then for anyone who has the desire...here is a story for you...
The Myth of the Fat Gene | LiveScience

[junkfoodmonkey]

Thanks for those links, I'll check 'em out.

I certainly have sympathy for people who say they can't lose weight, because usually they are trying all the standard mainstream ways, based around the official government guidelines and trouble is so much of that is wrong! If someone is doing everything "right" according to what the usual advice is, and instructions from their doctor etc and still can't lose weight, well it's natural they'll start to wonder if there's something genetic/medical wrong with them to prevent weight loss.

[dakotastyle]

Yep...I had always followed the "norm"...the Dr wanted me to lose weight and finally told me the only way I was gonna lose weight was to have Weight Loss Surgery... Well that maybe an option for some...but I hate Dr's...hospitals...surgery...etc...so I had to find a way to lose without that option...

I no longer see that Dr as he does not approve of low carb...I say if there is a will...there is a way...

[sugarless4life]

IMO, poor eating habits aren't inherited; they are yet another "learned behavior." Children learn what they LIVE.

I've never bought into the "fat gene" theory. I come from a long line of overweight people, who through poor eating habits and lack of exercise got fat and stayed fat all their lives.

I refuse to be one of them.

Betty

[snowmop]

Amen,Betty!! The "gene" thing just sounds like an excuse to me. Many in my family are fat, and like Betty, I refuse to be one of them. Of course, so many believe in the food pyramid, no wonder the whole country is fat......

[tams66]

Originally Posted by sugarless4life

IMO, poor eating habits aren't inherited; they are yet another "learned behavior." Children learn what they LIVE.

I've never bought into the "fat gene" theory. I come from a long line of overweight people, who through poor eating habits and lack of exercise got fat and stayed fat all their lives.

I refuse to be one of them.

Betty

I absolutely agree Betty...I was raised with poor eating habits from the crib. My great grandmother cared for me during the week while my mom worked as a baby and young child. She ws a diabetic and sugar made her happy, so when I would cry as a child she should sugar in my bottle. While as an adult I know my eating habits are my choice, I definitely think I got my "killer sweet tooth" from eating like this as a child.

We didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid, so I remember catsup sandwiches on white bread with handfuls of animal crackers (becuase those huge bags were really cheap ; ) being lunch. I loved it then, but now I know it built a really bad foundation that I still work hard to change...

[daisyHair]

Originally Posted by sugarless4life

IMO, poor eating habits aren't inherited; they are yet another "learned behavior." Children learn what they LIVE.

ITA.

I am the oldest of 5 girls and we are all overweight - three of us obese... one has had WLS, the rest of us are constantly fighting it with diet.

My mum.. (bless her she is an amazing woman in many aspects of her life, BUT) she had food issues and she passed them on to us.. she was ALWAYS DIETING.. We did a raw/vegan diet in the 70's when I was in preteen.. for several years - we then transitioned into Ovo/Lacto Veggie.

She later on also turned me onto eating tiny portions. She gave me coke in my bottle as a baby.. (my first word was "Coke").. she was a child herself (18 when I was born) and did the best she could. We ate nothing but fruit for several months in the 80's.

In my later teen years she turned gourmet. We had a catering business and food was very adored. I learned my food snobbery then.

NOW I have turned mom onto LC (she has MS and LC really seems to help her).. and the past is forgiven.

Re: the "Gene" situation..
Years ago I was told by a Dr. that if you did have an inherited metabolic problem it probably only accounted for maybe 100 calories worth of energy a day.. as in you might burn calories slower but in reality it didn't measure up to being 100 pounds overweight..

I like this idea, I think burning an extra 100 calories or so a day sounds much more doable than.. well I am fat because I have a metabolic issue.

[rls1321]

In my case, I was raised with fairly healthy food (my mom owned a deli/restaurant and we regularly had fresh cooked meals, lots of veggies and lean meat). My father has been somewhat overweight for the more recent 20 years or so of his adult life, but my mom and brother never were. My parents as I recall seemed to have had reasonable eating habits, ie: they never forced us to clean our plates and we rarely had junk food or fast food.

Once I got into my teens and was usually responsible for feeding myself, I think I just developed an indulgent and very stubborn personality. I don't think I'm an emotional eater, I just ate what I liked, often-times things that I didn't really get to have as a child much, and I didn't usually have the common sense or willpower to use moderation. This behavior went for other things too when I was younger (I'm 25 now), things such as money and things that are... let's say "less legal"... than junk food. It took a couple of years once I got out on my own and met my husband before we both realized that changes needed to be made. We've slowly but surely made positive changes in our lives over the last several years, cleaning up our various destructive habits. We are both drug free, smoke free, and credit-card free which were all huge hurdles. This is our greatest challenge so far, and the last one we have on our list (for now).

My point is that at least for some of us, I think that neither nature or nurture can be blamed - some of us just develop habits, bad and good, as we continually change and grow as people. Regarding the original question, I'm really not sure about a "fat" gene, I think some are more physiologically prone to being overweight than others, but I also think it's rare that NOTHING can be done about it whatsoever. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong.

[jem51]

i am not a believer in the gene theory for obesity. the thing is, that they started testing for a link after peops were obese so the gene would have already mutated. i do agree that eating habits are passed down but certainly not genetic.

[USMCmom]

In my case, it was my diet once I got out on my own. Both of parents are in their 70's and thin and healthy. My siblings and I were raised on healthy/organic foods and only had sugary snacks as a treat once in a blue moon and we were thin/healthy growing up. I moved out on my own at 18 and began a terrible eating habit with lots of junk/fast food. At 43 (5'6") I hit my highest weight ever, 190 lbs. I started back on LC (I've done it a couple of other times in the past 7 years) and I'm down to 181 and I will keep going until I each my goal of 160. My sister is also overweight/obese but she is having a hard time losing weight. She takes several allergy meds so that could have something to do with it. My brother is still at a healthy weight and never gained much over the years.

[Jennifer]

Of course some people/families are predisposed to being a higher weight regardless of eating habits. We all know people/families who eat high calorie/fat/carb foods all day long and don't exercise, yet stay thin or average weight, while some of us eat a healthy diet and exercise and struggle for every pound lost.

However, I don't believe that having that predisposition (or "fat gene") prevents 99.9% of us from losing weight and keeping it off with proper diet and exercsie. It's just more of an effort for some of us than others.

[BikerAng]

If there is a fat gene then there must be a skinny gene too. I have a friend (a guy) who is tall and eats like crazy but he just can't gain weight (he's been like that his whole life). He even tried the high calorie shakes to gain and nothing worked for him (he's self conscious about how thin he is). His brother is totally different, he has a "beer belly" and isn't thin. Their diets are totally different, and the thin friend is VERY active while his brother is not. There are just so many factors, I don't think being over weight can be solely attributed to a single gene.

[smarie130]

I think it's a bit of both.

I think that if there wasn't some sort of genetic component, then there wouldn't be such differences in how much a person can eat without gaining weight. Some people can eat and eat and eat and still be thin, while others look at food and gain a pound.

I think a lot of it is one's sensitivity to carbs and insulin resistance.

That said, if you are carb sensitive, I don't think that means you can't lose weight and are doomed for life, it just means you have to follow a different diet than other people. If you continue to follow a high carb, high fat diet, you shouldn't blame your weight on genetics, genetics is still only part of the equation.

Also, I think a person can get addicted to carbs, which leads to binging, emotional eating, etc. and that can cause weight gain regardless of genetics.

I also have a friend (guy) who's tall and skinny and eats constantly, but never gains weight. At school, he used to eat pop tarts all the time just for the empty calories because school lunches weren't enough for him.

[Yellobrix]

I don't think it's a simple "this or that" choice. Some genes just are - if you have blue eyes, you have blue eyes, end of story. Other genetic options are highly complex and also are flexible - things can change depending on environmental factors.

Your genes are either an asset or a liability, depending on your environment. If you have the ability to store large amounts of fat quickly, then that's bad in a carb-filled modern world, but it's a clear advantage during a famine or a long barren winter. Conversely, if you have trouble keeping your weight up, that's an advantage when you're in a department store, but not so helpful during that long barren winter.

Sometimes, your genes are your fate, like having blue eyes. But when it comes to weight, it's a predisposition, an increase in likelihood, to be thin or heavy - but not an absolute certainty. If your genetic profile means that you store fat efficiently, it doesn't mean that you are somehow required to eat and eat and eat. Your genes are not forcing you to pick choco-twinki-dinks instead of steak.

Those of us with "fat genes" are simply forewarned that we are extraordinarily efficient survivors who need to make dietary choices to help us manage our fat storage tendancies.

[Maryposa]

There's sooo many factors that I just don't know. What I do know is that I have battled my weight my entire life and I was NOT raised on junk food, my parents never even took us out to eat... we never had chips, soda, etc. My mom signed us up for sports and physical activities of our choosing, and we weren't allowed to watch much TV at all.

I have to work harder than any of my friends to lose/maintain weight and eat better than them. I also can't eat to "BMR" and maintain on HALF the calories estimated to be my BMR. I have had tests done at the Dr.s office and all come out in the normal range... GTT, Thyroid etc (though that was a few years ago now).

All I know is, if it were as SIMPLE as calories in calories out, I would not have a weight problem. I am extremely diligent, and so were my parents while I was growing up.

[junkfoodmonkey]

Thanks for the really interesting replies, all, and relating your experiences. It's not a question that will be answered soon, I'm sure.

[Leo41]

I think it's a combination of a lot of things. My father's family were all normal weight, but my maternal grandmother was very heavy, and four of her six children were obese (including my mother). My mother told me she was thin until puberty and then suddenly gained an enormous amount of weight. All 5 of her children have struggled with weight problems all our lives. Can we lose? Of course. But what we never realized until our very mature years is that it would be a constant battle. We gain weight easily and lose it with difficulty. One of my sisters was similar to my mother. She was thin until her first pregnancy, and then she just kept on gaining until she developed diabetes2 and is now the heaviest one in the family. The rest of us have been obese since childhood.

Next time around, I want the thin genes:-)

[Beaglesaroo]

I agree with you.

Originally Posted by Jennifer

Of course some people/families are predisposed to being a higher weight regardless of eating habits. We all know people/families who eat high calorie/fat/carb foods all day long and don't exercise, yet stay thin or average weight, while some of us eat a healthy diet and exercise and struggle for every pound lost.

However, I don't believe that having that predisposition (or "fat gene") prevents 99.9% of us from losing weight and keeping it off with proper diet and exercsie. It's just more of an effort for some of us than others.

[Jean@125]

Originally Posted by Beaglesaroo

I agree with you.

Me too. I have half brothers and sisters. We have the same mother different fathers. All of us that were thin as children had a thin father and all of those that were overweight had a overweight father. Mom fed us all the same so why the differences in weight? My half brother was just shy of 11 pounds at birth and was always hungry!
Not saying weight can't be managed or lost but I do think there is a predisposition.

[LauraAnn]

I 100% believe there are genetic components. The thing that drove it home to me the most was one of my friends older sister was about 5 feet 11 inches tall and very thin, she ironically married a man about 5 feet 5 and very round who had struggled with weight his entire life. They had twin boys, not identical, who I didn't see until they were about 5 years old. One was tall, thin and blonde, just like mom, the other very short and dark and very overweight like dad. These were kids who ate the very same diet every day, engaged in the same activities. The one thing I did notice one time when we went out to eat that the thin one picked at his food and the larger one wolfed his down and wanted what his brother didn't eat and begged for dessert.

I think there must be a gene for insulin resistance because I think from the word go this kid had it. He is in his 30s now... still overweight, while his brother is still tall and thin. Do I think he could do something about it? Sure. He could low carb. I think that's the only thing that would work for him.

But I also believe the odds were stacked against him from conception on.

[scandalouslyglam]

There absolutely is a genetic factor. IMO. BUT that doesn't mean you will definitely be fat. We know certain cancers are genetic, yet not everyone who's parent had a cancer will get it. I come from a family of heavy folks. BUT...they eat big hearty meals and exercise rarely. They could probably be slimmer.

Like alcoholism, you can have a higher likeliness of alcoholism if others in your family have it. BUT you may not...It's tricky.

[thisisrightnow]

I really don't think there is a fat gene. I used to. I was convinced it would be hard to lose weight cause all the girls on my mom's side of the family had insanely huge butts and were very overweight. My sister weighs probably close to 400 pounds, if not more. But I proved that theory wrong as I am now the skinniest girl on my mom's side, weighing 190. I always believed it was my destiny to be fat and I was cursed with a slow metabolism. My metabolism still isn't the fastest but thats why I exercise, do weight training and try to eat as clean as possible and hope the weight will eventually all come off. I've been doing LC for almost 2 years (there was a period of like 6 months where I didn't) and while the weight still isn't all off, I am happy to say I've kept the weight off for the most part. I still have 5 pounds to lose to get me back to where I was before but my body is looking more toned. I can do 45 mins of pretty moderate intensity (some of it can get high intensity) cardio without dropping dead from exhaustion. Can the other members of my family? Probably not. So I think I am pretty healthy given my weight.

[Makeitgreen]

Originally Posted by junkfoodmonkey

Thanks for those links, I'll check 'em out.

I certainly have sympathy for people who say they can't lose weight, because usually they are trying all the standard mainstream ways, based around the official government guidelines and trouble is so much of that is wrong! If someone is doing everything "right" according to what the usual advice is, and instructions from their doctor etc and still can't lose weight, well it's natural they'll start to wonder if there's something genetic/medical wrong with them to prevent weight loss.

I think this is exactly why many people believe they are predisposed to being overweight when in reality, they COULD lose if they were on a low carb woe. It disgusts me to think about how mainstream docs are forcefed info from pharmaceudicals and they BELIEVE all that crap and nonsense. I also get fighting mad when I explain my low carb WOE and people regurgitate the ridiculous. For instance, when I tell someone that I eat more protein and good fats and no fruit they say "but fruit is so good for you"! For me, eating fruit is the same as eating candy. My body isn't suited for all that sugar, fructose, glucose, I don't care what kind of 'cose, I'mma gonna get fat if I eat it! Plus, the sugar makes me so danged hungry.

I think the reason most people are overweight is because of just that, they are hungry all the time. And they are hungry all the time because they aren't eating things that satisfy, because they are constantly trying to lose weight eating the wrong foods.

All that said, I do have hypothyroidism which makes it very hard for me to lose. I'm fortunate to have a metabolism that likes to hang on to the weight it's at though. So when I lose, it's easier for me to keep off than most I think. But it's much harder to lose. The trick is to learn how your body works and commit yourself. When your body changes, you have to change your WOE, otherwise yes, you'll believe it's not your fault, your just predisposed to being fat.

[Magicsmom]

Originally Posted by sugarless4life

IMO, poor eating habits aren't inherited; they are yet another "learned behavior." Children learn what they LIVE.

I've never bought into the "fat gene" theory. I come from a long line of overweight people, who through poor eating habits and lack of exercise got fat and stayed fat all their lives.

I refuse to be one of them.

Betty

THAT is EXACTLY what I was going to say! My sugar addiction was a learned behavior. My elderly mother lives with us, and still downs the Hershey's chocolate like there's no tomorrow. She has to have her sweets every single day. No doubt, I contributed to the addiction by liking those things, but clearly I grew up learning to eat junk.

[hotchick818]

I do believe that some people are predisposed to being overweight. There may be a so called "fat gene", but unless you have a medical condition, you are usually eating too much and exercising too little to maintain the overweight status. As for the story about the UK family, I don't know their history and honestly didn't take the time to read about it, but it sounds like a crock to me.

[thestreets]

I believe genes can make you pre-disposed to something but lifestyle choices can help change that. Genes aren't destiny, but they are still a major factor.

Genes can influence your levels of leptin and other hormones, also there is the whole thrifty gene theory, and how a quick ability to put on weight was selected for since it provided a survival benefit back in the days when food was scarce. So this gene predisposes some people to fatten up more quickly in times of plenty - but if you don;t overeat (the diet part) you won't gain the weight, you will have a harder time staying leaner, but it can be done if you watch your diet. So you can't blame a gene or diet alone, it is more of an interplay. It is harder to control weight when your genes are stacked against you, but it can be done, just takes more perseverance and trying different approaches.

[Makeitgreen]

I think there is definately something to the gene thing too, and I also think sometimes people's hormones are all outta whack and makes it very difficult to lose weight.

If a person can't lose weight, they should go see a very forward thinking endo for bloodwork. Not just any endo will do. MHO

[BusyB]

I think its both. Genes/make up and diet. Some people have a greater proposenity gain. Others have greater propesity to loose wait. Then you add diet into the mix and voila, you have superthin and overweight people. I have a propensity to gain. I gain easily. Very easily. Back when I was 'normal' weight, I did not eat as much as some of my super thin friends. And we moved as much.

I had a friend, now a model, who was 5'10 and weighed 120lbs. She would eat two chicken sandwiches for lunch with double fries, and regular soda for lunch. She ate pretty much that amount for all her meals, plus snacked on chocolate bars, cigarettes, chips, alcohol, fast food. The day she skipped a snack or breakfast, she lost weight.