See! See! I told you! It's my metabolism! Huh, Kyle. Huh. The New York Times! You're feeling pretty stupid now, aren't you Kyle.
If your parents are fat you have an increased chance of being fat as well???! NO WAY!
Where’s captain obvious when we need him?
It began with studies that were the inspiration of Dr. Ethan Sims at the University of Vermont, who asked what would happen if thin people who had never had a weight problem deliberately got fat.
His subjects were prisoners at a nearby state prison who volunteered to gain weight. With great difficulty, they succeeded, increasing their weight by 20 percent to 25 percent. But it took them four to six months, eating as much as they could every day. Some consumed 10,000 calories a day, an amount so incredible that it would be hard to believe, were it not for the fact that there were attendants present at each meal who dutifully recorded everything the men ate.
Once the men were fat, their metabolisms increased by 50 percent. They needed more than 2,700 calories per square meter of their body surface to stay fat but needed just 1,800 calories per square meter to maintain their normal weight.
When the study ended, the prisoners had no trouble losing weight. Within months, they were back to normal and effortlessly stayed there.
I was adopted at 3 months, and didn’t meet my birth mother until I was 30. I was overweight, as was she. My adopted father was big but not huge, my adopted mother was thin.
I now weigh 370, and need to do something about it soon before it kills me.
It’s all in the genes, I am 5’11, 165. There has never been an overweight person in my family, my siblings, parents, children and grandchildren are all normal weight.
Even in my ‘sedentary years’, I have no problem staying thin but I sympathize with those who are not blessed with ‘thin genes’.
I could give up beer, but I hopeful science will come through for me and the many others that suffer from beer code genetic syndrome.
Once that is cured, donuts are next. Then life would be perfect. If anyone would like to start a federally recognized BCGS organization, and get funding, emotional and medical support and victims rights status, FRmail me.
While the article was interesting, I have a couple of problems with it.
1. Childhood obesity is skyrocketing, and it is not because only fat people are having children.
2. The part of the article regarding identical twins is not bullet-proof. I know a set of identical twins, who BOTH have autism, but different kinds. One seeks sensory stimulation (including taste) and endless activity (rocking), and the other hates extra noise and chaos, and eats much less. Now around 40, one is quite pudgy (the one who wants stimulation) and the other is normal weight.
review
According to this article, much of our weight is genetically determined. This doesn’t explain why it is that so many Americans are fat when their ancestors back in the Old Country are slender, or why, operating from the same genetic root stock, the percentage of obese people is increasing rapidly.
Genes are very far from being the only explanation.
Oh, do I know that!!
I was a fat kid, a fat teenager, a fat young adult. After having my 3 older boys I went from 175 to 110. Stayed there for 10 years, but everyday was a struggle NOT to EAT.
Got remarried, quit smoking, had another baby, went right back to 175. Four years ago I lost 50 pound, again. Haven't put too much back on, but evrey day I struggle NOT to EAT. If I don't watch every mouthful, the weight jumps right back on!!
See! See! I told you! It's my metabolism! Huh, Kyle. Huh. The New York Times! You're feeling pretty stupid now, aren't you Kyle.
Once it was not all that uncommon for people to walk a mile getting to and from work, and to be on their feet a good bit of the day on the job.
That of course, has changed.
This type of metabolism is not necessarily a disadvantage. It just means you have to make a point to be active.
Lab rats have been found to live much longer when restricted to starvation diets.
If an obese person can maintain a hundred pound weight loss which throws the body into a starvation conditon without actually starving, maybe they could live to be 150.