Genetics determines the original blueprint of our physical body; the color of our skin, hair and eyes, our height and musculature are all laid out at conception. But some of us are pudgier than others and some of us are dangerously obese. Is there a genetic predisposition to obesity? No. Does genetics cause us to distribute fat differently or burn it more or less effectively than another person? Yes.
Genetics can make a measurable difference between the weight you lose on a certain diet and exercise program and that of a friend on an identical program. We all can't, nor should we want to, look like a slender fashion model. Natural, healthy women have a rounder figure than fashion models. Some natural, healthy women are a bit rounder than other natural, healthy women.
All of us should strive to be within ten pounds of our ideal weight. The trick is to determine the ideal weight. Weight charts often have ranges for light, medium and heavy frames. Even within those categories there are ranges for an "ideal" weight. For some people, their ideal weight may be slightly beyond the listed ranges if they have the muscle tone to carry the extra weight without too much strain on the body.
If we are well beyond the healthy ranges for weight, we have to stop blaming genetics. When an entire family is obese, it is more likely due to the eating and exercising habits that have been passed down to the children rather than their genetics.
The role of genetics
Researchers have found specific genes that can either make us thinner or thicker. They divided a group of post-menopausal women into two groups that did either a stretching program or a strenuous exercise program, instructed them not to change their eating habits, and then tracked their weight loss. After one year, the resulting weight loss or gain correlated with the presence or absense of certain genes.
For one genetic pattern known as CYP19, the women who exercised lost more weight than women with other genetic patterns, but those with CYP19 who did not exercise gained more weight than others. So genetics has a role in weight management but it is a complex relationship that involves genetics, diet and exercise working together.
It has been known for some time that certain racial groups that have historically experienced long periods of famine have developed the ability to store more fat from food so as to last for longer periods without food. Native Americans are one such group.
Women have more of a tendency to store fat, perhaps so that there are more resources available during pregnancy. Women who starve themselves to become unnaturally thin may become infertile as nature protects the child from being conceived in a woman who is incapable of providing the nutrients the fetus needs.
So if you're tired of yo-yo dieting, reevaluate your ideal weight. Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. If you're still a few pounds over an "ideal" weight and feel happy and healthy--maybe you are!
