Is Obesity Really Genetic?
Is obesity the result of a lack of will power? Most people in America seem to think so despite the studies showing genetic predispositions may play a bigger role than one’s choices. Obesity and genetics is something that has a multidimensional effect on not just those who suffer from it, but our healthcare system, as well as those who view it from the outside with little understanding.
Anyone who’s not wary of what they ingest can become a little overweight. A little bit of a beer belly or a little love handle. A lot of people can realize the change and have the ability to make the dietary changes needed to promote the fat loss. They may join a gym, or walk the weight off, etc. What if that same person was unable to work off the weight all the while making good choices at the dinner table?
Obesity and Genetics
We’ve all seen the fat person with a bag of McDonalds and wondered in our heads why they don’t make a different choice, such as perhaps a salad with grilled chicken, for example. Worse yet, is when we see that fat person feeding their fat kid McDonalds. Those are definitely choices and habits of lifestyle in many instances, and they can be maddening from an outsider’s perspective when people bring up the correlation between obesity and genetics. It’s akin to watching someone smack themselves in the head repeatedly all the while complaining of a headache. Just stop doing it and the problem will go away is what you want to say. What if they do, however, and it doesn’t?
There are many factors involved in weight gain. Metabolic rate, food choices, exercise levels, as well as genetics. Thyroid issues abound, yet they often go undetected and untreated. If your thyroid doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones, your metabolic rate will suffer enormously. These hormones, when in plentiful supply, will increase the heart rate, increase our ability to use more oxygen, and so forth. If you strip the body’s ability to metabolize efficiently, you ultimately will likely end up promoting obesity.
The psychology of weight loss is important to consider as well. For some people it’s a wake up call that gets them going to the gym and eating better. Others, however, have a much deeper hole to extricate themselves from. Emotional eating is a seemingly never ending cycle of poor choices, large quantities, and an ever increasing waistline as a result. As a longtime Austin personal trainer and gym owner, I can attest to the fact that these people will have the perhaps the hardest battle to fight when it comes to losing weight and fighting obesity. You can usually medicate a physical condition, such as a thyroid disorder, for example, but when you are depressed and stressed, and your method of self medicating is to binge eat, and usually junk food, you’re facing a long uphill battle. Especially if you have a substantial amount of weight to lose.
Nobody ever got fat eating too much salad. With all of the tasty unhealthy foods we’re surrounded by, it’s easy to make a little exception here or there and indulge oneself. The trick, is moderation. If you eating a healthy diet and only occasionally enjoy something with too much butter, fat, sugar, etc, you’ll likely be fine. If you are someone who has an issue with obesity and genetics, or rapid weight gain, such as those with hypothyroidism, you may want to stick to the straight and narrow as much as possible.
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Andy
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