[DanaC]

Originally Posted by anne666

I don't agree that obesity has any genetic factor. Too many calories and not burning them off = weight gain. They could always get a gastric band at the taxpayers expense. They would never have to exert themselves physically , by actually moving around more or mentally by utilising, I would think for the first time in their spoiled lives, a modicum of self restraint. That would fit in perfectly with the way they have been brought up, from what I have seen

There are many factors involved in weight gain. At it's absolute simplest, it is too many calories for the body to burn off (often because of insufficient exercise). But: different people's bodies deal with excess calories differently. If I overeat for a few days, my appetite then drops off and the thought of food makes me feel slightly sick so i end up dropping the amount of calories I intake. For some people this doesn't happen, instead their bodies respond in a different way, turning the excess calories into fat without switching off their appetite.

There have also been some studies done in the last few years which show an apparent link between a common virus and sudden changes in appetite and the body's response to excess calories; with people who've always been slim suddenly gaining large amounts of weight. It's not clear exactly what the relationship between the factors is yet but there is enough evidence to suggest that it may be a crucial part of the obesity problem.

There are other factors to consider too: different people need different levels of exercise to burn off similar amounts of excess calories. There are a range of physical conditions which can limit the amount of exercise a person can get. There are also many illnesses/conditions which can impact on appetite.

I have a friend who is very overweight, but I guarantee she does much more exercise than i do in an average day and her diet is far healthier than mine. I live a pretty sedentary life other than dog walks, and my diet is appalling: i go through phases of healthy eating, but I spend weeks at a time living on fast food, takeouts, chocolate bars, etc.

She has far more self control than I do. But because I am slim and she is fat people assume I am healthier and less gluttonous than her.

I suspect that I have far more fat in my internal organs than she does.

There are also, of course problems set in childhood, with how we relate to food. They can be very difficult to address. Not just because we form habitual relationships with food, but because our diet as children affects how many fat cells we have as adults. People who gain weight in childhood and adolescence genuinely have a harder time losing weight than people who don't gain their weight until adulthood.

There was an excellent documentary a few years ago called 'Why are thin people not fat?'

I highly recommend it. It's really fascinating.

Here it is on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeeFrcvt3KA