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Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

bbc.co.uk

1–10 of 66 posts

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#2
Weak scientific result put in the media as a new truth. It does not take a genius to see any picture of Europe in '70s where there are people, to see that with very rare exceptions everybody was slim. The same happened in France, Italy, Germany, ... and now despite that we are genetically the same people are fat. Maybe there are people genetically more inclined to stay lean despite the terrible lifestyle, but that would be another story and another message: you still have control on your weight most of the times.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#3
post #2

Weak scientific result put in the media as a new truth. It does not take a genius to see any picture of Europe in '70s where there are people, to see that with very rare exceptions everybody was slim. The same happened in France, Italy, Germany, ... and now despite that we are genetically the same people are fat. Maybe there are people genetically more inclined to stay lean despite the terrible lifestyle, but that wo…

My thoughts as well..

Changes in genes very certainly are epigenetic to some degree.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#5

Eating too much food the 'secret to becoming fat' The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses. Excuses like this will only make obesity even more common and accepted than it is today.

>The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses

This. There are too many people who do not understand that conservation of mass applies to the human body too. Nobody gains 1 kg by eating a single peanut, yet some people claim it's all genes.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#6

Eating too much food the 'secret to becoming fat' The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses. Excuses like this will only make obesity even more common and accepted than it is today.

Sure, but some might be genetically predisposed to make more efficient use of calories (burn easier rather than store as fat). Which could make a massive difference.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#7
post #2

Weak scientific result put in the media as a new truth. It does not take a genius to see any picture of Europe in '70s where there are people, to see that with very rare exceptions everybody was slim. The same happened in France, Italy, Germany, ... and now despite that we are genetically the same people are fat. Maybe there are people genetically more inclined to stay lean despite the terrible lifestyle, but that wo…

Same thing in the US. Although I'm old enough to remember the 1970s firsthand and to remember that most people were pretty thin.

Other things I remember from that time include: people not having microwave ovens, people eating at home for the most part, trips to fast food restaurants being only an occasional thing, regular restaurants having much smaller portions, and a lack of social acceptance of being overweight.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#8

Eating too much food the 'secret to becoming fat' The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses. Excuses like this will only make obesity even more common and accepted than it is today.

The article starts by saying:

> Scientists say they have discovered the secret behind why some people are skinny while others pile on the pounds easily.

> Their work reveals newly discovered genetic regions linked to being very slim.

> The international team say this supports the idea that, for some people, being thin has more to do with inheriting a "lucky" set of genes than having a perfect diet or lifestyle

Further down the article adds:

> Most obesity is acquired in adult life and is linked to the obesogenic environment we live in - a sedentary lifestyle and abundant access to calorie-dense foods.

I am lucky; I don't have to heed your newfriend advice to stay slim. My genes (or, the article mentions at the end, possibly my gut microbes) seem to have a secret of their own.

If you are unlucky and your body is good at storing excess calories, then I guess those people will have to adopt the 'newfriend secret' of not eating to much.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#9
post #6

Eating too much food the 'secret to becoming fat' The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses. Excuses like this will only make obesity even more common and accepted than it is today.

Sure, but some might be genetically predisposed to make more efficient use of calories (burn easier rather than store as fat). Which could make a massive difference.

Actually the person who makes more efficient use of calories is more likely to become fat because they don't need as much. There's also a lot of evidence that burning through loads of energy will reduce your life span. Eating less is always better than trying to burn more.
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