Obesity has long been a problem for American adults, but now it is becoming prevalent with our children. To begin to halt this process, we have to dive deep to understand what is happening. Is it nature? Is it nurture? Is it our food supply?
Obesity has both genetic and environmental connections.
Genetics:
- There is a fat-mass and obesity-associated gene located on our chromosome 16. 1
- Ethnicity and race have been shown to have a connection with obesity risk also.
Environment:
- Dietary habits of household
- Friends
- Access to healthier diet modifications
The real question is, “If an individual carrying obesity-related genes made healthy dietary changes, would they succeed or are they always destined to be obese?”
A study published in British Medical Journal investigated this very question. With over 14,000 participants (8828 women and 5218 men) eating one of 3 healthy eating diet choices – either the Alternate Healthy Eating Diet, The DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) Diet, or the Mediterranean Diet. This study recorded BMI and body weights every 4 years for 20 years. The findings were very hopeful for those of us trying to avoid obesity.
The study concluded that by strictly following a healthy eating diet, we can prevent long term weight gain. Also, those with genetic risk for obesity that improve their diet quality can have a higher chance of success at losing weight. Looks like nature outweighs nurture in this case (pun intended)!
Our genetic vulnerabilities, no matter what they are, do not control our ultimate destiny. We have choices to make that will drive our reality. For more information on a healthy eating diet like the DASH diet, make an appointment with me, and let’s talk about you experiencing success with your health.
