Do These Genes Make Me Look Fat?

I had a fleeting thought today about weight, and how I’ve heard or learned in the past that genetics can affect a person’s chance of becoming obese, or make it more difficult for a person to avoid obesity or to gain or lose weight.

I decided to do a little reading on this topic, and quite honestly, am only sharing it here because I can’t pass up the chance to use the awesome title that came to mind regarding this issue.

As it turns out, according to this article from the Obesity Medicine Association, “recent studies suggest that genetics contribute to 40-70% of obesity with the discovery of more than 50 genes that are strongly associated with obesity.”

Wow! However, apparently testing for these obesity genes in adults is not of great value. It’s important, then, if we suspect that we carry the obesity genes, that we would have our children tested to see if preventative measures should be taken to ensure that they live a healthier lifestyle than maybe we would.

On the flip side, a writing from Harvard T.H. CHAN School of Public Health states: “What’s increasingly clear from these early findings is that genetic factors identified so far make only a small contribution to obesity risk-and that our genes are not our destiny: Many people who carry these so-called “obesity genes” do not become overweight, and healthy lifestyles can counteract these genetic effects.”

I think I agree more here. It would be easy for someone to say “my mother was overweight, my grandparents were overweight… that’s why I’m overweight.” However, we all know that no matter your genes, it’s almost always possible to control your body. Even women who suffer with PCOS are able to control their weight using hormone-balancing methods and being careful to avoid the foods that don’t agree with them.

The Harvard article continues later, But “it’s important to remember that overall, the contribution of genes to obesity risk is small, while the contribution of our toxic food and activity environment is huge. As one scientist wrote, ‘Genes may co-determine who becomes obese, but our environment determines how many become obese.'”

The key here is to find what works for your own body. I’ve found many influencers online who have fine-tuned their diet and lifestyle using experimental changes. They’ve spent years being conscious of how different foods and activities make them feel and affect their body. Sarah’s Day used diet control to eliminate hormonal acne, regain her menstrual cycle, heal her pre-cancerous cervical dysplasia, and defy the odds and become pregnant. Miss Fit and Nerdy constantly plays with her diet and exercise regime to obtain different personal goals and changes in her body and to pinpoint ingredients that give her reactions or gut-aches.

These are only a couple of examples, but I find inspiration in people who, rather than accepting skin issues, bloating, constant digestive issues, or hormonal imbalances, set out with adventure in mind and work meticulously to find what works for them.

Some day, I’d like to find what works for me.

Is obesity in my genes? I’m not sure. But if it is, does that mean I stand no chance of ever being a healthy weight? Absolutely not.

I choose how I fuel my body. I choose how I move my body. If I choose what’s appropriate for my goals, the theory is that I will achieve those goals.