I’d love to know exactly how much genetics affects obesity because I’ve noticed that the word ‘genetics’ pops up quite a lot when people talk about the causes of being overweight. Genetics are like a blueprint for our bodies, they control all sorts of stuff, so it might seem reasonable to suggest they are responsible for our body weight too. But how much responsibility do the have?
Now I’m no expert on the subject but I have spent a solid 12 or maybe 13 minutes reading stuff on the internet about it and based on this profound level of research the only thing I know for sure, is that nobody knows for sure. Some stuff I read claims obesity is at least 90% genetic while others say it’s at most 10%. Standard results for internet then, a selection of opposing facts so you can choose whichever side of the story fits your beliefs.
But let’s put all those inconvenient complications like evidence and truth aside for a while because I got to get this off my chest: I seriously doubt that your genetics are any match for a box of glazed donuts and a takeaway burger. If you eat a load of shit food then you’ll probably get fat regardless of having fat genes, skinny jeans, or whatever genes.
Imagine we found the so called fat gene and did an experiment: We take 2 people, one who has the fat gene and another who doesn’t, and we feed them both the same sensible diet without any junk foods. Does the ‘slim gene’ guy stay slim while the ‘fat gene’ guy becomes obese? I doubt it. I bet they both end up about the same, perhaps with the fat gene guy having a little more body fat due to the gene. Give people a good diet and an active lifestyle and I reckon they’ll avoid being overweight regardless of their genetics.
Here’s why I believe that to be true: Let’s say that the so called fat gene causes people to instantly convert 100% of the calories they consume straight into body fat, understand that it is impossible to create extra energy during this process. You can’t eat 300 calories worth of cake and convert it into 400 calories of body fat. Why? Because the first law of thermodynamics says you can’t, that’s why, and based on that the things you eat will always be more responsible for your body fat than your genetics. By the way, if it were possible for me to generate an unlimited supply of power by eating chocolate cake all day then I just want to tell you that I’d totally do that. For like humanity and shit, not just for the cake.
If that incredibly well researched and thoroughly tested piece of science wasn’t enough to convince you that genetics aren’t as important as some people make out, here’s something else I don’t get: If genetics are to blame for making you fat then how come 10% of the UK population was obese in 1975, but in 2020 is was 25%? How long does it take for genetics to change? I thought it was like a million years or something? But it seems that in this case they’ve miraculously changed in just 35 years, little more than a single generation, amazing.
So I suspect that most people use the genetics card as an excuse for being fat and you got to admit that as excuses go, it’s a fucking good one because blaming being overweight on your genetics shifts all the responsibility away from you and on to a mysterious science that dictates your body weight. How could being overweight possibly be your fault when your fate was sealed before you were even born? In fact surely you’re the victim here because being overweight is and always has been completely out of your control. It’s like a hereditary disease and other people should never shame you or judge you because of it. When you blame obesity on genetics you get to say it’s not my fault, I’m the victim, and you must accept me, all with a single word. What a great excuse.