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Do You Have an Obesity Gene?Have you heard that being overweight might be caused by an Obesity Gene? I know, it seems that these days we are always being told by the scientific community that a particular condition is caused by a defective gene or gene sequence...once the faulty gene is identified...and a way found to switch it off...then hey presto...no more problem.
Scientifically Validated Clincally Proven Get Yours Today! Click here It is a reasonable assumption to assert that disease states have a genetic component. Every person's genetic code carries errors and therefore certain susceptibilities but to take personal responsibility and environment out of the equation and assume that all dysfunction and disease is based purely on inherited characteristics is fuzzy logic. Your inherited biological characteristics don't necessarily have to determine your future. For example, we know that Japanese women living a traditional Japanese lifestyle in Japan have a less than 1% chance of developing breast cancer...but if you take these Japanese women and transplant them into the North American lifestyle their chances soon begin to match the national average in the United States...a tragic 13%. With acquired chronic diseases such as Heart disease, Cancer and Diabetes, the killer combination is inherited characteristics and environment which includes associated lifestyle choices. So is there such a thing as an obesity gene? Are some people more susceptible to being overweight and the process of fat gain? Some researchers think so.
Way back in 1962 a particular gene dubbed the 'thrifty gene' was suggested by geneticist Dr. James Neel. The thrifty gene theory was a way of explaining why some people gain weight and develop type II diabetes easily while others do not. The thrifty gene theory simply states that some people have a genetic trigger that slows their rate of fat burn...and may even stop it...to help prevent starvation. It is also thought that if you have inherited the thrifty gene then you are far more likely to over-release insulin into your blood stream when you consume high carbohydrate food and drink. This can lead to insulin resistance and weight gain. Dr Neel hypothesized that indigenous people... and others possessed genes that helped them to survive from feast to famine. Food was not always plentiful...but sometimes would come in abundance. If you put these same genetic types into a 'modern' westernized lifestyle with excessive availability of calories on a daily basis...every day is like a feast...and the famine never arrives! So this theory postulates that certain genetic types may not be properly adapted to the lifestyle that they are living in.
Moving forward to more relatively modern times...1993...some interesting research shone further light on obesity and genetics and identification of a possible obesity gene. Dr David E Comings...at the time the Director of Medical Genetics City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute in Duarte California and his research colleagues identified a potential obesity gene called the D2 receptor or DRD2. They found that it plays a role as a major gene that determines obesity and height. They also added that this gene may also be a risk factor in the development of type 2 diabetes...also known as adult onset diabetes. Now, let's move all the way into modern times...2008 This was reported by the TimesOnline May 5th 2008
Interesting...but hardly earth shattering in terms of the average increase in weight in those individuals with the genetic variant. So what should we make of all this? Is there a genetic obesity link? Well...yes to some degree it seems so. Could this explain the epidemic of overweight and obese people that we are seeing in industrialized nations all over the globe? No...I don't believe so. While the presence of an obesity gene may predispose some people to weight gain, it is the environmental triggers or switches that are the problem. At the root cause of the obesity epidemic is... 1. a combination of continually very poor food choices year after year of poor nutrition would seriously impact most peoples ability to overcome points three and four. If you are eating poorly you don't feel like being physically active and your mood effects your will power and ability to make effective decisions that will help you. It is a very vicious cycle. The presence of an obesity gene...the predisposition that some people may have that allows them to gain weight more easily than others may put some people at a disadvantage in the weight gain battle...but only if they... Incorporate some simple Fitness Tips into your daily routine! Click here to go from Obesity Gene to Fat Loss
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