Why we shouldn’t blame bad genes for being fat.
Obesity is already a global concern, and scientists have established its relationship with heart disease and diabetes among other illnesses. With advances in research into genetics the blame has shifted towards ‘bad genes’ which promote obesity in people. It is true that certain genes promote obesity by reducing the body’s resting metabolic rate; which is the rate at which a person burns calories while at rest. While some are lucky to have a high metabolic rate which maintains their slim body no matter how much they eat, others need to diet and exercise.The current trend is for people to blame their ‘bad genes’ and do nothing about it while continuing to put on an unhealthy amount of weight. The most common saying being “well my mother and father are overweight, so I guess it runs in the family”. A person may have a genetic predisposition to obesity; however, their behaviour can modify it as genes are not a determinant of whether you are obese or not. It’s not that obesity runs in your family, it’s that no one in your family runs!
A research article published in the British Medical Journal examined the associations between takeaway food outlets, takeaway food consumption, and body weight (Burgoine., 2014) .The study concluded that individuals having a higher exposure to takeout or fast food outlets around their home, workplace or on their route to work are more likely to consume more of these unhealthy foods, and have a much higher chance of being obese. In other words, a person’s behaviour can make the genes express themselves in a much worse manner.
How can this happen you may ask, why can’t people just avoid these fast food places? The density of international fast food restaurant chains and local fast food outlets in a given area has greatly increased over recent years, simply because of the demand. Passing by one of these establishments, no matter if you are in a hurry or focussing on something else, such as texting on your phone, the first thing that happens is that you are instantly attracted to the smell of food coming from inside.These smells create a craving which leads to a hunger, even if you are not really hungry. The more food outlets there are in a given area, the greater your craving will be. Upon entering one of these establishments you are presented with a delightful selection of food at affordable prices, which are nutrient poor and packed full of calories; which get stored in your body as fat if not used up. Add bad genes (slow metabolism), and an inactive lifestyle to this unhealthy eating and the result is obesity which leads to a string of other illnesses.
It is very easy to conform to this new ‘fast food lifestyle’ and it happens unknowingly and the consequences are devastating. Obesity and chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease are often thought of as illnesses which affect people in developed countries, but due to this new fast food lifestyle they are now highly prevalent in developing countries. A national study conducted by Katulanda et al (2010) reports a high prevalence of obesity in Sri Lanka, as well as an increasing trend in obesity.
Taking all this into account, we can’t blame our genes for being fat and unhealthy; the blame must be shifted to us for being too lazy and choosing unhealthy eating habits. You are what you eat; if you are going to eat in an unhealthy manner then you will become unhealthy. The way you think determines the way you behave, which in turn determines your health. What we can do if we have these bad genes is to burn the extra calories in our diet by exercising and practicing a little self-control. There is simply no other way around it. Nowadays there are many parks and walkways being built in and around cities, and many people take advantage of these. If you have a craving and must eat junk food make sure not do it too often, and later exercise to burn off those calories. Exercising not only helps improve your fitness and health, it also improves ones mood.There is no such thing as being ‘big boned’, if you are overweight, then accepting this will help you change the way you feel and behave about your health.
A still from the award winning animated movie Spirited Away.
In this scene 10 year old Chihiro finds her parents who are insatiable about food turning into pigs. It is a simple message; we must not be too greedy about food otherwise we will have to suffer severe consequences.
Dr.Kaushalya Jayaweera
