Genetics

[antoniojones1968]

Is being overweight or obese hereditary? I don't just mean are you more likely to become fat if your parents are fat because they raised you on a bad eating/low activity lifestyle, I mean that even if you were raised pretty well and were active, are you still genetically at a greater risk of becoming fat if your parents are?

[ChristySmiles]

While your lifestyle really is the major factor behind gaining weight, I think that genetics do have something to do with it. Some people really can gain weight fast, while others don't - that's got to be genetics.

[brightstar]

Yes. Research has found that genetics do play a role in obesity. For instance, genes have been found to directly cause obesity in disorders like Prader=Willi syndrome and Bardet-Biedl syndrome. That being said, genes do not always predict the outcome of a person's future health. In other words, a person's lifestyle is a huge contributing factor to their weight. There's a difference between having a genetic disorder that increases your odds of obesity and becoming obese because you eat poorly and don't exercise.

[bruceH]

Yup, genetics can play a role. Some people can actually gain weight easier than others based on their genes and not just their lifestyle choices.

[Kyra]

I also think that genetics do have something to do with weight gain. Honestly, I can look at a cake and get fat, while my best friend can eat three of those cakes and not gain a pound. Our metabolism and the way our bodies are built are entirely different.

[speeddemon]

I also agree that genetics can work against you, but genetics has nothing to do with what you put in your mouth or the choices you make when it comes to exercise.

[tammybear]

You might not be able to control your genes, but you can control your lifestyle by watching what you eat and choosing to exercise. Both of those choices will help to make sure that your genes don't get the better of you.

[antoniojones1968]

Fascinating. Thanks for all your feedback :) I thought that genetics could work against you. Sometimes that explains a lot haha.