Conversations about weight and dieting inevitably veer in this direction. We can talk about our different body types and why BMI is a bad measure on an individual level, we can talk about differences in our metabolisms, differences between the sexes, make arguments that being of a ”healthy weight” does not mean we’re healthy, and on and on. All of these are important points, but they don’t explain the sharp increase in obesity seen especially in the US over the past several decades. We can add discussion about our food supply across the country, cultural, lifestyle and socioeconomic influences, etc. All important points.

I certainly wouldn’t want people suffering malnutrition in a hopeless effort to force their bodies to conform to some ideal that is just not right for them. Per the charts I’ve been overweight or obese since sometime in high school, and I will say that my personal ideal would still be considered overweight. I don’t think it matters that others have an easier time losing weight or maintaining a good weight than I do. What matters to me is that when I look at myself objectively I see the result of a history of excessive and unhealthy eating and drinking. If I could honestly say I lead a healthy lifestyle and this is just how I am, I’d like to think I’d accept that. But I can’t say that, honestly, and I’m gonna take a guess that I’m far from in the minority.

“What matters to me is that when I look at myself objectively I see the result of a history of excessive and unhealthy eating”

FOAS, I’m raising my hand high here! I’ll also add that yo-yo dieting kind of messed me up too. I try not to look at myself in a mirror as the extra weight, along with the aging process is not pleasant. Genetically, IMO, my mom, sister, and I all look alike in terms of body type & how we metabolize food. Our Dad got the tall, slender genes & never had a weight or eating problem.

Smiles,

Sooz

I'm the same as FOAS.

I’m on board with that.

As for the money in the diet industry, yeah it’s a money maker but overeating is an addiction, and as with many addictions some people can deal with them on their own, but many others need help. At some point people are willing to part with money to be helped not do something.

Sure. Some people need help. The statistics with most for profit diet industry is that people don't lose much and don't keep it off. The big success stories are outliers. There are some who get truly medically necessary surgeries, but the elective surgeries make me really mad. I've only met one person who had a big outcome and kept it off for more than a year. She said three. And she was still eating the post-op no more than a tablespoon at a time thing, which is extreme. At least the diet food people are giving you product for the money, not endangering your life, cutting healthy flesh, and causing suffering. When I heard the price that someone who wasn't unhealthy was paying for get slim quick surgery, all I could think was, for that money, you could hire a minder and just go straight to the post-op diet. The psychology is another issue. There are plenty of not for profit groups, etc. who can help with the addiction, and some for profits with social elements, like traditional Weight Watchers, have decent reputations. Except the part where if they're at goal weight they get to keep going for free, but if the backslide a bit, they have to pay, which is a huge disincentive to go, right when it's most important. I'm all for paying for help...if the help is real. Most of it is way closer to the scam side of the continuum.

One of the great things about the overeating, is it's still possible to eat heathier while still addicted. Even if the compulision is to eat the whole pot of mac and cheese, there can be the but I have to eat a big handful of salad first, or can't have all the M&C without a bunch of broccoli bits in it. Eventually, transitioning down to a whole bowl of salad or broccoli and a big handful size portion of M&C.

Biofeedback for weight control is worth considering for many people.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/biofeedback/about/pac-20384664

dcarch

I'm not into extremes. For my height, a "normal" weight at my age would be between 135 and 145. Hardly extreme, I weighed 110 in college and 115 until my late 40s and wasn't skin and bones or an obsessive dieter. However, I did have a job where I worked outside doing a lot of physical work. Transitioned into higher paying desk jobs or at least jobs where I was at a desk a lot more. My appetite kicked up, which I think is a result of stress. My activity level died down, which creates a cycle of being tired which then makes activity less appealing. I know a lot of folks who end up putting on weight due to some disability or illness in older age that makes moving more of a challenge. That then starts the bad cycle.

I lost 30 lbs last year, I looked good. I did it by counting calories, nothing terribly restrictive, trying to stay around 1500 calories sometimes 1600. I used Noom for the meal planning and calorie counting. But I have gained most of it back. I got so sick and tired and fed up with being constantly hungry and having to spend so much of my ever shrinking brain power on food consumption, from meal planning to making certain dishes, shopping, etc. I just wanted to live, get up each day and eat and not have food be something I have to think about. And I was also sick of fighting off hunger pangs. I wasn't starving myself, the hunger pangs weren't the result of malnutrition! Watching TV is one of the worst problems, at night when the hunger pangs kick in, the TV has so many food commercials!

I think most of a lot of people's problems is not doing exercise, from stretching to deal with mobility issues in old age, to light cardio and muscle retention. That wards off a whole host of problems. I used to walk regularly, but the walking in my current neighborhood is unpleasant, and I'm not motivated to drive to a place to walk, especially in the winter. I had tried to turn the guest bedroom into an exercise room but so far, despite my efforts and paring down, I can't spare the space. I know exercise is the real fountain of youth but it's been a struggle for me to keep it up. The pandemic has been a big part of that. I like classes and using the senior center gym but I don't want to risk getting sick. Folks around me aren't believers in science and places don't have adequate ventilation, cleaning and staff, and gyms are high contact with bodily fluid places. IMHO, there's a market out there for upgraded health clubs with an actual healthy environment. Probably would be too expensive to be a success in my poor rural community. It's my personality, I'm a people person so having an exercise partner is a huge fun factor and motivator for me . . .

I do not really think genetics have anything to do with weight. Weight is a result of lifestyle and most importantly, eating habits. I think a lot of people blame genetics because if the whole family is overweight, then they think it must be. But its because families often share bad habits, not bad genes. Obese adults are more likely to raise obese children, who are more likely to grow into obese adults. It may be genetics, it may be because the family is eating powdered doughnuts and Cheetos for breakfast. Lots of people try to find excuses for weight gain or the lack of weight loss. Its food. That's it. Changes that come with age can affect the hormones or result in loss of lean muscle mass, which often means that our bodies need less calories, but if that adjustment is not made, of course there will be weight gain. The key is to recognize and adjust. A lot of people do not really realize how much they eat. If people who swore that they barely eat and cannot lose weight, truthfully logged every bite of food they eat, they would probably be shocked. Little bites of this and that add up through the day. The problem is that little bites often do not count in the eyes of the biter.

Anybody can lose weight. Its not easy, pleasant or convenient, but it is possible. So many factors go into daily life. I get so sick of seeing 19 year old fitness girlies saying that "we all have the same 24 hours, if I can do it you can too." No, honey, no. Not everyone has time to weigh out every component of every recipe. I do, but not everyone does. Not everyone has the flexibility to make a perfect meal every meal. When you have a family or even just one other person to cook for, sometimes you just go with what works. I have that flexibility, I do not mind cooking 2 separate meals, or different versions of the same, for myself, who is overweight, and SO who is very much underweight. But that is not practical, either from a time sense or a financial sense for a lot of people. And for those of us who do not work in the fitness industry, and therefore have to carve out time for exercise, the time just is not there sometimes. I am lucky enough to have a job that allows me to walk for exercise on the clock, as they say I am "lowering health care costs" and therefore they support it, as long as my work is done. How many people are that lucky? All that being ranted, all of those are lifestyle things, not genetic. There are no treatments or therapies for genetics based weight gain. Why? Probably because they are either not a thing, or such a small percentage that it would not make sense to develop them. All weight loss treatments are focused on helping the person eat less. The diet pills the doctor gave me? Not hungry at ALL. No desire to eat. Less food=weight loss. Ozempic/Wegovy ,etc? Make you queasy so you do not eat very much. Less food=weight loss. Gastric bypass or sleeve surgery? Restricts the amount you can eat, and often causes very bad side effects if you try to push it. less food=weight loss. ALL diets are designed to reduce calories, whether they state it outright or its just a side effect. Keto, for example, low carb, high fat, moderate protein. Fat and protein are key. They satisfy faster and for longer, whereas carbs do not really satisfy appetite at all. Cravings yes, but not appetite. My doctor did not put me on keto, but on low carb. He said I can have "unlimited amounts" of meat and non starchy green veggies. Now of course that is not really true. I cannot eat 5000 calories of meat everyday and expect to lose weight. But the way it works is that meat and non starchy veggies fill you up faster, take longer to break down and digest, and therefore tend to reduce hunger, and therefore overeating and snacking. Therefore: less food=weight loss. Commercial diets like WW, Nutrisystem, jenny craig, etc. They are just reducing calories. And honestly, if people do them like they are supposed to, they work. They are just not really necessary.

As for the diet industry, well, they are making their money aren't they? And its sad because it literally costs zero dollars to lose weight. In fact, you can save money by losing weight. Buy less food, eat less food. I spend money when I want to lose weight, so I guess I shouldn't be preaching. I have paid for a class taught by a doctor who operates a weight loss clinic, and I have paid for a few months of prescription appetite suppressants from that doctor, just to get started. After that, I think it important to do it on my own. The first few months are the toughest. The class was worth it though. As he was very precise as to WHY he prescribes the diet that he does (low carb) and why it goes beyond weight. To him, Glucose is the enemy of health. I am not a doctor or a scientist but what he said made sense and really made me reevaluate how I eat. Most commercial diet plans are designed to work, but then fail long term. And then because it worked the first time you paid for it, of course you will pay to restart it, and the cycle continues. Surgery is the same. Its expensive, and it works, at first. But if you do not modify your eating habits, your stomach gets strecthed back out to its original size and you gain the weight back. Then you pay for a revision surgery. Money Money Money. I know at LEAST 2 dozen people who have had weight loss surgery. Exactly 2 have maintained a normal weight 5 years after. The rest are huge again. Bigger than they were before the surgery in some cases. A few of them never even reached a normal weight. They managed to undo their surgery before they could get the full benefits. Its SAD. And quite a few of them blame genetics for it. If its genetics than WHY did the surgery work initially when they were literally unable to overeat, or even eat adequately (i.e. eating less than they burn) ? Huh? Explain that.

I recently went to see my PCP, (not the same as the weight loss doc) just for a checkup and also because I was a BIT concerned because for the longest time whenever I exercise, my fingernails turn dark purple, and I thought it was time to ask about it. Of course, he being a good doctor, brought up my little bit of excess weight. I told him about the steps I am taking to fix it, and while he sort of disapproved of the prescription diet pills, told me they were fine short term to get started. He told me something. "Its okay to be hungry. Hunger is not an alarm bell. Its not an indicator of malnutrition. It just means your stomach is empty. That's fine. Your stomach should not be full all the time. Stick to your EATING PLAN. When you stop those pills, you are going to have to be reconciled with that." He is right of course.

I don’t know, amylou.

Genetic influences

To date, more than 400 different genes have been implicated in the causes of overweight or obesity, although only a handful appear to be major players. Genes contribute to the causes of obesity in many ways, by affecting appetite, satiety (the sense of fullness), metabolism, food cravings, body-fat distribution, and the tendency to use eating as a way to cope with stress.

The strength of the genetic influence on weight disorders varies quite a bit from person to person. Research suggests that for some people, genes account for just 25% of the predisposition to be overweight, while for others the genetic influence is as high as 70% to 80%. Having a rough idea of how large a role genes play in your weight may be helpful in terms of treating your weight problems.

Observationally, when I see family members being not just overweight, but having the same exact distinctive shape, that tells me there’s genetic influence at work, encouraging the body to store excess energy in a certain way. The article goes on to give indicators for how much your weight is influenced by genes;

How much of your weight depends on your genes?

Genes are probably a significant contributor to your obesity if you have most or all of the following characteristics:

You have been overweight for much of your life.

One or both of your parents or several other blood relatives are significantly overweight. If both of your parents have obesity, your likelihood of developing obesity is as high as 80%.

You can't lose weight even when you increase your physical activity and stick to a low-calorie diet for many months.

Genes are probably a lower contributor for you if you have most or all of the following characteristics:

You are strongly influenced by the availability of food.

You are moderately overweight, but you can lose weight when you follow a reasonable diet and exercise program.

You regain lost weight during the holiday season, after changing your eating or exercise habits, or at times when you experience psychological or social problems.

These circumstances suggest that you have a genetic predisposition to be heavy, but it's not so great that you can't overcome it with some effort.

At the other end of the spectrum, you can assume that your genetic predisposition to obesity is modest if your weight is normal and doesn't increase even when you regularly indulge in high-calorie foods and rarely exercise.

People with only a moderate genetic predisposition to be overweight have a good chance of losing weight on their own by eating fewer calories and getting more vigorous exercise more often. These people are more likely to be able to maintain this lower weight.

Based on what you’ve said, I’m guessing you’d join me in the “lower” category. My own temporary successes with weight loss make it tempting to say it’s just a matter of eating less. It is, for me, but I’ll accept that it’s not “just” that for everyone.

I do agree with you though for the majority of the population. If you can lose weight, then blaming genetics is a crutch. Sure, one way or another I may be genetically predisposed to eating more, but since I do lose weight when dieting, the genetics are a challenge not a road block.

Fat acceptance is a delicate topic. I don’t want to shame anyone who’s overweight, particularly if it’s heavily influenced by genetic or medical factors, but are we doing ourselves any favors by telling the nearly 75%of adults who are packing too much weight that “it’s ok”? Now people will say it’s nobody’s business but is it? How much are our unhealthy lifestyles putting a strain on our health care system, food supply, and environment?

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-people-become-overweight#:~:text=For%20people%20with%20a%20very,weight%2Dloss%20drugs%20or%20surgery.

Well, I'll just say that almost every female in my family at 45-55 has gained quite a bit of weight without changing, or changing for the better their diets! The only 2, who have stayed "slim" inherited my Dad's genes, which include skin allergies, skin cancers and other stuff!

Still sticking with genetics!

I think genetics does have something to do with weight. Out of all of my sisters, one has always had a little weight to her. She barely eats and yet she's the heaviest of us all. Granted, we all have gained weight as we've gotten older. For myself, I love food, but I won't blame it all on eating. Since retirement, I am way less active. That being said, I have a fast metabolism and can lose it quickly also. In my twenties, I weighed around 106 and have put on 20 lbs. since. Yet, the sister who has always had some extra pounds has to struggle to lose it.

There's actually a vast amount of research to back up that genetics makes a huge contribution to weight and body type. Research into genetics has exploded in the last 30 years and there are so many things we know now about how genetics influences diseases like diabetes and cancer. It's also helping us devise treatments. However, genetics is not your total destiny, genes interact with environment and cultural practices come into play. There's not one standard human body type or body chemistry, we know that from allergies. Genes that make you resilient against famine and able to actively and successfully hunt, gather and work in the fields all day long might not be to your advantage sitting at a desk for a living.

That said, a balanced and reasonable approach to seeking out fresh foods which have the highest nutrients, and some kind of exercise can put you at least in a ballpark of a healthy weight for your body type. Part of it is just having realistic expectations for what is possible given your genes, not feeling like you have to fit some standard advertising idea of what people should look like.

Exercise is becoming my holy grail. And I'm having about as much success with doing it regularly as the knights of the Round Table . . .

I don't know much about these new weight loss medications that people with diabetes are using, but obviously they are game changers for some.

I don't know much about these new weight loss medications that people with diabetes are using, but obviously they are game changers for some.

They’re game changers because people eat less while on them.

Repeating what I quoted from the Harvard article:

Genes contribute to the causes of obesity in many ways, by affecting appetite, satiety (the sense of fullness), metabolism, food cravings, body-fat distribution, and the tendency to use eating as a way to cope with stress.

I see four of the six as challenges, not roadblocks. Unless you literally can’t lose weight while eating just enough to keep healthy, it’s a mental challenge. Just like math and basketball, it comes easier to some than others. I’m not diminishing the difficulty in any way. I’ve failed to lose and maintain weight countless times so I’m not speaking from a high horse. But I have multiple health issues that were either caused by my eating or could be better managed with healthier eating, so I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet. It really doesn’t matter if I call it genetic or environmental, bottom line I “just” need to eat less and better if I want to address this.

FOAS when I lost weight and increased fitness the first time, the motivation was the constellation of ailments I was experiencing. I was pre-diabetic. My gout attacks were so bad that for weeks at a time I used a cane and could only walk five or so blocks. I was getting frequent gallbladder attacks. My blood pressure was high, resting pulse high.

30 lb and a bunch of cycling later, most of that was resolved. Normal lab values. Gout infrequent and minor (couple times a year, bothersome not crippling, last a day). Gallbladder attacks infrequent and controllable (avoided by not eating big slugs of fat - alas it was sayonara, pork belly.) BP borderline and controllable with medication. RP low.

As I alluded to in the other thread, those ailments have returned as my weight and fitness have deteriorated. So has motivation.

Edit - I looked at my records on MyFitnessPal. Looked like I was 187 lb pre-Covid (2019), then ballooned to at least 204 lb by early this January (I see a 215 but that has to be with clothes and shoes). 200 lb now, so a long ways to go.

I lost 30 lbs by following a modest calorie counting regime. My goal weight was nothing extreme for my age or body type. I looked good, fit back in to a lot of clothes I had not been able to wear for about a decade. My motivation was the same as you guys, I wanted to stave off high cholesterol and other heart disease issues that run in my family. Plus not have to buy a whole new wardrobe! But I gained most of it back, almost entirely due to hunger pangs. I just got sick of having to fight them off constantly. And I know it wasn't due to me not eating enough food or nutrition. I found it difficult to focus on other things because of the hunger. Weird.

I sure would like to take a pill that caused me not to have the hunger pangs, but I would worry about the other side effects. I think that's why so many models and Hollywood actors smoke all the time, although are rarely photographed smoking. It reduces their appetite.

I'm not a fan of the movie "Notting Hill" but I vividly remember Julia Roberts character describing what it was like to be a famous actress and saying, "I'm hungry all the time." The camera puts on ten pounds, so you have to fight to stay a little underweight to fit the norm as a movie star.

Here's the exact quote: "I've been on a diet every day since I was nineteen, which basically means I've been hungry for a decade."

I had to take Vocational Agriculture when I was in the 9th grade in a rural school (I was forbidden to take Home Economics), and we were taught a lot about genetics regarding animal husbandry. Dairy cows are bred to be lean but produce a lot of milk, and beef cattle are bred to produce marbled meat.

Genetics can also affect body types in humans. Some human groups (such as Polynesians) have evolved to retain fat, so that they would be able to survive ocean voyages, and Native Americans have also evolved to retain weight in order to survive periods of not eating.

And Kansas natives (who I come from) have to stave off winter strarvation! ;)

In addition to the genetics, there are also crazy bacteria which can send you painful hunger signals and demand carbs. They can especially take hold after antibiotics. They die if you starve them, but you have to low carb and ignore the hunger pangs.

50 years ago, certainly in Britain, obesity was rare. Now, it's everywhere. It's lifestyle and diet, not genetics.

FWIW, one thing I understand is that eating simple carbohydrates can trigger the release of ghrelin - a.k.a. the hunger hormone...

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22804-ghrelin

So it's not just calories that matter, it's also the types of foods that contain them.

It's simple....exess weight is a product of eating more than you burn.. Perhaps some at some time in theier lives burn more and faster....but the excess weight is still from eating more tha you burn.

I lost almost 50 pounds during the pandemic because the social aspect of food and drink was removed. And instead of cooking and inviting friends in ( and eating what i cooked and having re runs for lunch!) I baked bread and delivered ti every day.....and often a slice of hot fresh bread was my meal.

Yeah...I am "old" and don't eat as much as I did but am still amazed by what I see poeple, women my age, pack away at a meal!

Eat until you are no longer hungry, not because there is food left on your plate.

You are fat not because of "genetics" but simply because you eat too much...or are inactive. Genetics may slow down your metabolism, but unless yhou eat too much you woint' get fat.

I believe ( disclaimer: I am not a doctor and have no idea about dieting) Heredity is like a GPS and you are on a highway. The GPS takes you from one point to the other other point. However, you do have the ability to get off at an exit not specified by the GPS and go to other places.

Do you know that identical twins can end up with one fat and one skinny?

dcarch

Sorry, Linda, but I've been walking miles, going to water aerobics and eating very little for many years, but at menopause went POOF! As have most of my female family members! Even my Doctor said it can be hereditary! I can take a picture of all the over 60 people at the Y to prove it! :)