AliceW Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Just curious: what do you guys think about family history and being overweight? I worry a bit because the people on my mother's side of the family are mostly pretty big (as is my mom). However, they seem to have not-great habits: very little exercise, and too much food. Nevertheless, I myself am not as thin as I think I should be considering my habits...I do exercise, and I eat pretty well. While I'm not overweight by any means (i'm 5'4" and 125 pounds), I do get a bit pudgy around the hips and thighs if I don't really watch it. Am I doomed?? Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 I think you're just going to have to be careful throughout your life. If you develop good eating and exercise habits now and stick to them, you should be fine. Link to post Share on other sites
goodnbad Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Alice, you are hardly fat! As a matter of fact, if you carry a lot of muscle, you might be considered to be somewhat underweight by some people. What do I think of genetics? I think it is only part of the reason a person is overweight. Sure, maybe due to genetics you might require 100 calories less than the next person to survive, but it only makes a slight difference. More commonly you will see a whole family of overweight people because they have all learned to eat improperly and do little exercise. It is learned behaviour. I think overweight people blame their genetics way too much for their problem rather than looking inside to fix it themselves. It is easier to say "it runs in the family" rather than motivating oneself to put forth the effort to lose weight. Not to say that there are not other factors involved in weight-loss/gain, only that too many people use the excuse as a reason for remaining apathetic. Link to post Share on other sites
ConfusedInOC Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 Originally posted by AliceW Just curious: what do you guys think about family history and being overweight? I worry a bit because the people on my mother's side of the family are mostly pretty big (as is my mom). However, they seem to have not-great habits: very little exercise, and too much food. That's the #1 contributor to weight gain, yes. Nevertheless, I myself am not as thin as I think I should be considering my habits...I do exercise, and I eat pretty well. While I'm not overweight by any means (i'm 5'4" and 125 pounds), I do get a bit pudgy around the hips and thighs if I don't really watch it. Am I doomed?? No, not doomed if you are conscious of your heritage. Avoid red meat, fatty and fried foods. Stick to whole wheat bread if you can. Avoid fast food, sodas and alcohol. Work out at least 3x a week, 30 minutes of aerobics, 30 minutes of weights. Drink lots of water. Watching your weight is an everyday thing, not an occasional thing. Besides, if you follow what I mentioned you'll be less likely to inherit diabetes, heart disease and other typical diseases of people who don't excercise or watch what they eat. You only have one body and it has to last a lifetime. Link to post Share on other sites
westernxer Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Originally posted by AliceW (i'm 5'4" and 125 pounds) That is perfect! Link to post Share on other sites
Author AliceW Posted June 2, 2005 Author Share Posted June 2, 2005 Thanks, westernxer! Thanks also for everyone else's replies. I do really try to take care of myself, and I frame it as a health thing rather than a weight thing. I guess my worry is that the day may come someday when i get older that running for 30 minutes 4 times a week and being a little careful about what I eat won't be enough to keep me thin...and that I'll then be faced with the choice of either getting fat or never being about to eat anything but lettuce! I think I do like food a bit too much...for example: here is what I ate yesterday...do you think it is too much/too fattening? Breakfast: small bowl of lowfat granola with 1% milk Lunch: mesculin salad with vinagrette dressing, small ciabatta with sliced pear and strips of brie Snack: apple Dinner: smallish bowl of pasta (with sauted red bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, and garlic, grilled chicken breast, a few toasted pine nuts, and a very light dusting of parmesan), one plain biscuit Dessert: 3 squares of dark chocolate I did go to the gym and spend 30 minutes working pretty hard on the ellipical trainer (heart rate around 150), as I do on most days of the week..but I don't know if that's enough! Link to post Share on other sites
ConfusedInOC Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Originally posted by AliceW I did go to the gym and spend 30 minutes working pretty hard on the ellipical trainer (heart rate around 150), as I do on most days of the week..but I don't know if that's enough! 3x a week@30mins of aerobics+30 minutes of weights. That translates into at least an hour in the gym 3x a week. Link to post Share on other sites
faux Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Originally posted by AliceW Just curious: what do you guys think about family history and being overweight? There are some very silly people out there who believe genetics determine quite a bit more than they actually do. Family history and genetics do not necessarily mean you will become overweight, or that you are even at risk for obesity. I worry a bit because the people on my mother's side of the family are mostly pretty big (as is my mom). However, they seem to have not-great habits: very little exercise, and too much food. If you keep up good habits, eating as healthily as you can, and trying to get some exercise, you should be fine. Nevertheless, I myself am not as thin as I think I should be considering my habits...I do exercise, and I eat pretty well. While I'm not overweight by any means (i'm 5'4" and 125 pounds), I do get a bit pudgy around the hips and thighs if I don't really watch it. Am I doomed?? I am right around your height. Many years ago I was 125 pounds, and I was a complete stick. You are by no means overweight. If you are concerned about vanity pounds, don't begin to think you have no control over your weight; you do. Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 There are some very silly people out there who believe genetics determine quite a bit more than they actually do. Family history and genetics do not necessarily mean you will become overweight, or that you are even at risk for obesity. Studies are showing that the genes are not destiny but are still a significant factor in developing obesity http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/info/perspectives/obesity.htm So I guess those 'very silly people' include the Centres for Disease Control. A couple more links: http://www.endotext.org/obesity/obesity8/obesity8.htm http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/briefs/obesity/hb050422a.htm Link to post Share on other sites
HokeyReligions Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 I was reading something about genetics changing within families too. Something about how we program our genes and pass on those 'updated' genetics. I can't remember all of it, but basically it was saying that a family who shares the same habits over several generations (grandma's famous recipe at Thanksgiving, Aunt Bert's special preserves, etc.) will update or alter some genes so that each preceeding generation has less, or more, tolerance to whatever made the previous generations fat, or thin. The article (I think I read it in the doctor's office when I was in the waiting room--in one of his medical magazines) went on to talk about thought processes and motivations and habits and routines that become so ingrained they become tied to us genetically. Its still a theory, but it made a lot of sense and would help to explain why each generation is becomming fatter than the one before while at the same time, some families & genetic lines are getting thinner, shorter, taller, balder, fuller hair, etc. Geography played a part in it as well and they talked about the geographic differences. People in different climates develop differently sometimes, burn calories differently, hair is curlier or straighter, skin tones are different, perspiration patterns are different (that was in interesting part of the study) and that becuse its so much easier for people to move globally and marry and produce offspring with people from other locations, the offspring genetics is becoming more mixed. Like I said, it was all theory, but the theory developed from studies and many different provable facts. If you family has big hips, chances are you will too. But, if your family never exercised and ate wrong and you DO exercise and eat right then chances are that you can avoid looking just like them. I don't look like anyone in my family and used to claim I must have been adopted, but as I've been cataloging old photos with my mom recently I see I have my grandmothers legs and boobs--neither of which I ever thought attractive and I can see myself looking more like her as I get older. No one else in the family that we know of, has green eyes and red hair though! somewhere in my ancestry there must have been a dervish like me! Genetics and Predisposition are not guaranteed blue-prints---there are far too many unique and individual contributors to each person's looks and health. Link to post Share on other sites
goodnbad Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Originally posted by HokeyReligions I If your family has big hips, chances are you will too. But, if your family never exercised and ate wrong and you DO exercise and eat right then chances are that you can avoid looking just like them. You are so right! My family tends to be a little on the heavy side, although not what you would call morbidly obese. My dh's family are definitely on the MO side. Of all of their family, there are two that aren't heavy at all and one is actually thin and guess what? They are the only two that eat healthy and exercise daily. Same with those thinner ones in my family. IMO, it's mostly about your daily habits. Genetics mean very little. You do not get to 500 pounds because of a bad 'obesity' gene (unless of course you're talking a hormonal/chemical disorder---which is very rare). It is because you are eating too much and/or exercising too little. Maybe some of it is also a lack of understanding about what IS healthy? And sometimes it is just plain denial. Link to post Share on other sites
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