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Should we blame genetics for the obesity epidemic?

Results so far:

Yes
18% 141 votes Total: 803 votes
No
82% 662 votes
Yes

When I first saw the debate I was going to answer no. But then I was thinking about my situation. Obesity is more than just making poor decisions about what you eat. It's also about what you genetic make up is and what you take. There are many reasons a person can be obese. Don't get me wrong I do think that some is contributed to they just don't know when to stop and say I'm not eating that or they don't eat properly. But for some like me that is not the case. I have what is called Metabolic Syndrome.



Metabolic Syndrome is,as explained by my doctor, where my body over produces insulin. Let me explain this better. When your body is fasting, not eating like when you sleep, your production of insulation is supposed to shut off and then turn back on when you eat. For me my insulin is always being produce whether or not I'm fasting. Which in case an over production of insulin will result in weight gain. Something that I have no control over. I was literally told by my doctor to lose weight I'm going to have to work three to four times harder than normal person. That in itself is frustrating mind you I'm a mother of four so I can't spend all day in the gym. So unfortunately I kill myself to maintain my weight and I do take medicine to help me out.



Many people will say ok that is a rarity but there are other factors in weight gain and though I'm no expert I did some research and found out the people with Cushings will gain weight as part of the Cushings and those with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome will also have weight gain.



Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is where a teenager or young womans ovaries produce higher than normal androgens which interfere with the egg development and release. This in turn can cause cysts. If this is not treated and caught there can be an menagerie of problems that come about like infertility, excessive hair growth, acne, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal bleeding from the uterus, and cancer. So you see that here is another example of genetics. Now again I'm not trying to blame genetics for every heavy person there is but there are some that are obese due to their genetics and harping on those is not going to help.



Cushings is a hormonal disorder caused by prolongs exposure of the body's tissue to high levels of cortisol and is shown usually in adults from 20 to the age of 50. some of the signs are most people with the disorder have upper body obesity, a rounded face, increased fat around the neck, and relatively slender arms and legs. So can these people really help it.



Other factors in Obesity because as I said it's not always genetics and it's not always over eating. It could be the types of drugs that you're on that effects your weight gain. Streriods and antidepressants have been known to cause weight gain. So I think that before we start the judgment process that all obese people are obese because they sit in front of a couch and eat food that they aren't supposed lets look at it from all points and do a process of elimination. Again I'm not saying that all people are obese because of genetics or drugs but that there are some that are obese to these conditions and that it needs to be taken into account also.xea

Learn more about this author, Bella Of Chaos.
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No

Genetics can't be blamed for the reason why people are obese. People are obese because they are eating more and burning calories less. Period.

Why are we always looking to blame something or someone for our ills? Is this just the American way? We can't blame genetics for the obesity epidemic because that would mean over fifty percent of our population have genes susceptible to obesity and that just isn't the case. There are many issues for our bulging population, and genes is just a small part of it.

Let's look at overeating, inactivity due to television and computers, and the "got to have it now" mentality. How many times when you are watching TV do you see food commercials with such appealing meals and snacks that you can't wait for your next trip to the grocery store or going out to eat? People are paid good money to make food look terrific on TV, and there are some cameramen and directors that specialize in shooting appetizing food for commercials. It is the power of suggestion at work that tricks the brain into persuading us that we must try the new "hot" food item. It is not because we are really hungry now, is it?

When I was a kid we were forced outside to play. Computers didn't exist in homes, only at research labs and they were almost the size of the lab itself. We played in the woods, on the football field, and at the beach. Everyday after school outside I would go, with the rare TV special requiring us to watch TV. We got our exercise alright, and our fresh air. But that was then, and times change. Are we going to find a substitute for exercise? Because either we exercise more or eat less, and it looks like eating less is on the losing end. Walk through any mall or place where crowds gather and just take a look at our lovely human race. There is enough fat there to solve the energy crisis if we could figure out a way to harness it.

It is a simple matter when you look at the problem. Eat more, exercise less and you will gain weight. That is physics at work. It is like a bank. Deposit more food into your body than you burn and you will have an excess of fat, just like having a fat bank balance. Burn more food than you deposit and you will lose weight, just like going broke at your bank. The problem is we are conditioned not to pay overdraft fees.

Scientists are working very hard on ways to burn fat without the human body putting in the effort to do so. Sounds great doesn't it? But I don't know, there is that pesky "something for nothing" rule that keeps getting in the way. Maybe after a few years that miracle pill will have grave consequences on the human body and we end up growing another limb or something. It just smacks of being unnatural, but who am I to say?

If you hate exercise and want to lose weight, try eating less. That is tough to do if you like to watch TV and keep getting bombarded with food commercials. One could try looking the other way and turning the sound off I guess.

Blaming genetics for our problems with weight is a huge cop-out. Deep down we know that, but we are conditioned to blame something except ourselves. Try blaming ourselves, then we get depressed, then we wobble over to the kitchen to cheer ourselves up. Isn't that the American way?

Learn more about this author, Anthony Megna.
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