Should we blame genetics for the obesity epidemic?

Yes

4 of 9

by David Kamikaze

Write now Print Invite a writer™ Add to Favorites RSS Feed Contact this writer

As has been mentioned in the media multiple times, not all obesity is down to the result of overeating. It is widely accepted that we, as a species, do tend to eat and store fat on our body for longer, harsher times ahead. This clearly would have worked thousands of years ago, even a few centuries ago, but the change of the world has been faster than our own genetic evolution and we are still pre-programmed with the innate ability to take on and store excess amounts of fat in case food supplies run out (which they will not). However, sometimes it is beyond the control of the individual, beyond the means and supply of food. Numerous genetic studies have found that some genes - and alongside that, genetic disorders - can literally force a person to overeat, even when they are full, to an excess that is both worrying and destructive.

Of course, the more well known of these genetic faults is Prader Willi Syndrome, a defect on the fifteenth chromasome that causes an insatiable appetite, to the point a person cannot stop. This disorder was famously used in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and was handled politely and to many, accurately. Given a choice, those with Prader Willi Syndrome will continue to eat non-stop. It's an appetite that cannot be quelled, there are no signals to the brain to tell it to stop asking for more food. They eat, and eat, and will eat anything remotely edible (and in some cases, even things not quite so edible). There is no cure, the consequences are as you would expect - if not controlled by carers or nursing care to regulate food intake, Prader Willi can lead to obesity and all the issues that come with it.

There are other lesser conditions though, whereby chromasomes regulating certain chemical levels in the body do not function as they should. This has led to much conflictive debate about whether or not eating disorders are entirely genetic or can be influenced by outside forces - does one become Anorexic for example because they have a faulty gene, or because they spend their life idolising the females in glossy magazines? And how would you be able to tell the difference? It is a shame that the world in which we live today idolises an unhealthy thin look when naturally we have evolved to at least have some fat on our body, that we cannot tell the difference between someone who is battling weight gain for genetic or health reasons as opposed to those who have gained it by lack of exercise, poor diet and excessive alcohol intake. It has made it increasingly difficult for doctors to work out the true cause of a persons obesity, with so many complex and increasingly new developments and discoveries it is impossible to say how many may have been misdiagnosed, or are suffering in silence blaming themselves for things beyond their control.

However, let us be clear that whilst genetics can play a part in many cases, it is not the only cause of obesity. There are people who have been on medicinal steroid treatments which has lead to weight increase that is rather difficult to shake off. Fast food and general unhealthy diets being relatively cheaper than nourishing healthy food, the increasing price of vitamin and dietry supplements, tumours and glanduar disorders, depression, stress - the reasons for obesity are not as clear-cut as many people will assume. Equally, some people who are abnormally thin can also put their problem down to genetics rather than the pressures on the female/male form in todays society, and excessive exercise. Sometimes obesity is entirely down to choice rather than the end result of medical, genetic or psychological complications. However, judging all by the same brush does not work today as we peel back the layers of our genetic codes via health and science and discover how regular and sometimes, how frighteningly common some disorders can be in people today.

Many of us may never know, or notice, we carry the genetic codes that cause quirky or reckless behaviour until it rears its ugly head - or more worryingly, we are unaware we are carriers of a destructive gene that, when coupled with another, can fundamentally change how our children will develop. It is only in the past few years we have begun to understand and learn how our genes are today, and we will likely see new conditions diagnosed in the future. Genetics can be a large part of obesity in the modern era, and we should be respectful enough today to understand that reasons and causes can be completely out of a persons control.

But also let us not forget that it is not the only cause of obesity today and that when diagnosed, many of these conditions can be controlled and weight loss can be achieved. Let us at least be honest with ourselves - the blame cannot be entirely placed on genetics, but genetics can perhaps now and in the future explain why there has been such an explosion in the rapid weight gain in millions of people who should otherwise be fit, healthy and able to curb their diet. It is an entirely valid thing to investigate, and one which we should be open to - if it is too late for many of us now, it may be able to find ways to reduce this epidemic in the future. If we can do that, then I think obesity today will be part of history studies tomorrow - a phenomenon of the past - but only if science and the general populous are willing to explore the notion that there is never a straight-forward answer to the question, "Why are you fat?" Simply assuming a person is lazy and overeats will cause more problems in the future than we have today and that, for any person, must be a terrifying thought...

Learn more about this author, David Kamikaze.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.