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Scientific Study on Weight
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Did it really need scientific research to come up with this? Anyone with common sense can see it is true surely? http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20080207/tuk -study-hints-at-fat-gene-6323e80_2.html
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It's not as cut and dried as you imply. Clearly certain body types are prone to gain weight more than others and that is largely an inherited characteristic. The problem then arises when people do not recognise their own body type and then use this sort of research as an excuse. "I'm fat because of my Genes" argument is then used rather than the realisation that eating fast food and not moving is also a contriibutary factor. There are genetic reasons yes but the basic equation still applies calories in minus calories out is a rock solid indication of weight gain/loss. It is a fact that some people need less calories than others, some people can fill their faces and burn it off fact! You have to adjust lifestyle accordingly. Using myself as an example, I put on weight easily, hence I live in the Gym! These studies just give people an excuse for not managing their own weight.
The 'discovery' of a 'Fat gene' is not obvious.
Children today are a lot fatter than they were just a generation ago. The conclusion would be that they eat more, eat an unhealthy diet and do not take enough exercise and that is why their weights have increased.
The discovery of the gene is just another factor.
Children today are a lot fatter than they were just a generation ago. The conclusion would be that they eat more, eat an unhealthy diet and do not take enough exercise and that is why their weights have increased.
The discovery of the gene is just another factor.
I agree with both of you. The article itself states that people that are inclined to fat need to watch their weight more. But it is pretty obvious that genetics play a great part in our shape and size. I was a long, skinny child from a family of long skinny people and I could eat for England and never gain a scrap of weight. I just don't think a scientific study told us anything we don't already know.
I think it does.
There's a lot of debate about this - as Gromit says obesity has gone up sharply which you wouldn't expect if it was genetic - unless the overweight have been breeding more!
And it's also contradicted by work that shows that contrary to popular opinion peoples metabolisms are mostly very similar.
You may not have noticed it but you were probably pretty active as a child - bit of a fidgit?
A lot of opinion is begining to focus on Leptin, the hormone that stimulates appetite - put simply some obese people spend their lives feeling as if they're starving.
There are also psychological effects - comfort eaters and a whole load of other issues.
I'm pretty sure that nothing is simple in this area of research.
- Cue entry for the mouth breathers chanting "more energy in than out = weight gain...end of"
There's a lot of debate about this - as Gromit says obesity has gone up sharply which you wouldn't expect if it was genetic - unless the overweight have been breeding more!
And it's also contradicted by work that shows that contrary to popular opinion peoples metabolisms are mostly very similar.
You may not have noticed it but you were probably pretty active as a child - bit of a fidgit?
A lot of opinion is begining to focus on Leptin, the hormone that stimulates appetite - put simply some obese people spend their lives feeling as if they're starving.
There are also psychological effects - comfort eaters and a whole load of other issues.
I'm pretty sure that nothing is simple in this area of research.
- Cue entry for the mouth breathers chanting "more energy in than out = weight gain...end of"
Jake I am aware childhood/adult obesity being on the increase is a fact, but I actually believe this is down to junk food and more importantly lack of excercise. What I am trying to point out, although not very well, is that genetics do pay a great part in whether we are fat or thin or just right.
I wasn't a particularly active child actually by some standards and I do come from a family of 'foodies' where I was served huge meals and praised for clearing my plate. But we are a tall thin family and its probably this fact that meant that I stayed thin (not thin now though :o( )
I know we can't oversimplify the whole issue, but I am simply trying to say that I don't think that this scientific study tells us anything we don't already know, i.e. that genetics play quite a significant part.
I wasn't a particularly active child actually by some standards and I do come from a family of 'foodies' where I was served huge meals and praised for clearing my plate. But we are a tall thin family and its probably this fact that meant that I stayed thin (not thin now though :o( )
I know we can't oversimplify the whole issue, but I am simply trying to say that I don't think that this scientific study tells us anything we don't already know, i.e. that genetics play quite a significant part.
I believe there's a gene that has been identified called FAT that is being held responsible for people being more prone to depression. That doens't mean that they will all suffer from it as far as I can tell but that given the wrong enviroment they will react differently to others in the same situation. Or more extremely if you like. (This is entirely my opinion from what I've read rather than any fact).
That being the case, if you identify something that makes you more prone to fatness then maybe it will help to know that this in itself will not make you fat but that you have to be aware of your enviroment and what you eat more than others.
I have PCOS, this can make your prone to weight gain and people with it should watch their carb in take more that maybe those without it. Because I know that I do keep an eye on what I eat and my carbs, it's not the reason I'm about a stone overweight but if I didn't know that then I wouldn't have adjusted my diet accordingly.
Some of us have the capability to look for information off our own backs and because of what we read or what our interests are this type of scientific research can seem to be common sense to us. But it's not true for everyone and so I think it is important that this sort of information gets reported, raising awareness I think is rarely a bad thing.
That being the case, if you identify something that makes you more prone to fatness then maybe it will help to know that this in itself will not make you fat but that you have to be aware of your enviroment and what you eat more than others.
I have PCOS, this can make your prone to weight gain and people with it should watch their carb in take more that maybe those without it. Because I know that I do keep an eye on what I eat and my carbs, it's not the reason I'm about a stone overweight but if I didn't know that then I wouldn't have adjusted my diet accordingly.
Some of us have the capability to look for information off our own backs and because of what we read or what our interests are this type of scientific research can seem to be common sense to us. But it's not true for everyone and so I think it is important that this sort of information gets reported, raising awareness I think is rarely a bad thing.
I entirely agree, Lottie. People have always figured that fatness was inheritable, but in recent years it's been seen as purely a matter of diet/exercise.
In my own family I took after my father (in colour, temperament etc); he was thin but grew fat, and so have I. My brother took after my mother; she stayed thin and so has he. You could quite reasonably explain the difference between my brother and me as down to diet and exercise, as Loosehead suggests (he played badminton for his country and works outdoors; I'm a desk jockey and more the stamp-collecting type).
But you can't explain away the differences between my parents so easily. Their wedding phtots show them exactly the same size and shape. They had the same diet (meat and 2 veg, neither junk food nor lo-cal) and the same amount of exercise. The way their weight diverged can only be down to genetics.
The way their kids also diverged was no surprise to any of us. After all, the whole idea of 'taking after your parents' is about genetics.
But it's been irritating the last 20-30 years the way thin people are seen as normal and fat people as weak and wicked, and obesity as a 'problem'. Fat is as normal as thin; humans come in a variety of shapes and sizes, that's the way life is. If scientists are belatedly proving this, well, it's about time.
In my own family I took after my father (in colour, temperament etc); he was thin but grew fat, and so have I. My brother took after my mother; she stayed thin and so has he. You could quite reasonably explain the difference between my brother and me as down to diet and exercise, as Loosehead suggests (he played badminton for his country and works outdoors; I'm a desk jockey and more the stamp-collecting type).
But you can't explain away the differences between my parents so easily. Their wedding phtots show them exactly the same size and shape. They had the same diet (meat and 2 veg, neither junk food nor lo-cal) and the same amount of exercise. The way their weight diverged can only be down to genetics.
The way their kids also diverged was no surprise to any of us. After all, the whole idea of 'taking after your parents' is about genetics.
But it's been irritating the last 20-30 years the way thin people are seen as normal and fat people as weak and wicked, and obesity as a 'problem'. Fat is as normal as thin; humans come in a variety of shapes and sizes, that's the way life is. If scientists are belatedly proving this, well, it's about time.
If I think about it, when I was at school back in the times when we wrote on slates and had outside loos, my schoolfriends came in all different shapes and sizes - tall, short. thin. fat. What's more noone actually seemed to take much notice. We occasionally teased each other, but that's what kids do. We all grew up into different sized adults too -how very strange.
We have now made our children totally obsessed with their normal appearance and body shape, and more and more little children are suffering from anorexia and other problems because of this.
Yes, we should watch we don't get too fat and that our children should eat good food and exercise, but for goodness sake don't let's go over the top about it.
Thanks for your thoughts about the research ChinaDoll and Gromit.
And thanks jno for seeing what I am trying to say.
We have now made our children totally obsessed with their normal appearance and body shape, and more and more little children are suffering from anorexia and other problems because of this.
Yes, we should watch we don't get too fat and that our children should eat good food and exercise, but for goodness sake don't let's go over the top about it.
Thanks for your thoughts about the research ChinaDoll and Gromit.
And thanks jno for seeing what I am trying to say.
I have been reading the replies with interest. I work with 3 other women. I am a size 12 as is one other. The other two are size 8/10 max.
Out of the four, I have the most healthiest, nutritional and lower calorie food intake. The others eat crisps, chocolate, triple decker sandwiches and more throughout the day! I have my tuna salad and sparkling water for lunch and that's it!
We are all roughly the same height and none of us are avid gym users or joggers.
So why do I eat the least and yet am larger than the others? Another strange thing is that I am now 43 and actually slimmer than I was in my 20's and 30's although I actually eat a tad more than I did then and am generally less obsessed with 'food' as a whole!!
There's got to be more to it!!
Out of the four, I have the most healthiest, nutritional and lower calorie food intake. The others eat crisps, chocolate, triple decker sandwiches and more throughout the day! I have my tuna salad and sparkling water for lunch and that's it!
We are all roughly the same height and none of us are avid gym users or joggers.
So why do I eat the least and yet am larger than the others? Another strange thing is that I am now 43 and actually slimmer than I was in my 20's and 30's although I actually eat a tad more than I did then and am generally less obsessed with 'food' as a whole!!
There's got to be more to it!!
I find these conclusions amazing. It assumes we are either born a fat person or a thin person. But take a middle aged person who is obese and compare it with the same person 20 years ago. Did the gene stop working once they reached middle age? If a gene existed it would not differ from a greedy person who desired more valuable items so turns to gambling or stealing. They can't help themselves!
Genes can switch off, honestjoe, yes.
http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=63
That would explain why my thin father got fat and my thin mother didn't. Different genes.
http://www.thetech.org/genetics/ask.php?id=63
That would explain why my thin father got fat and my thin mother didn't. Different genes.
The way I read that article jno was not that genes turned off but were lying dormant to start with and were then turned on. So lactose intolerance was overcome later in life and blond hair changed to another shade.
Any process seems to occur in one direction only. Therefore a thin person could become a fat person but not vice versa unless by disease such as cancer. If this is the case it is pointless trying to cure an obese adult (not permanently anyhow) but to put all our efforts into the non obese youngster to stop that gene being turned on?
Any process seems to occur in one direction only. Therefore a thin person could become a fat person but not vice versa unless by disease such as cancer. If this is the case it is pointless trying to cure an obese adult (not permanently anyhow) but to put all our efforts into the non obese youngster to stop that gene being turned on?
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