Genetic Disposition to Gain Weight: Should Carnie Wilson be Worried?
Carnie Wilson, star of the hit film "Bridesmaids" and former Wilson Philips-singer, amidst her weight problems has expressed her fears that her daughter might suffer from the same genetic disposition to gain weight. But should she be worried about her daughter's genetics when it comes to gaining weight?
Wilson told Fox News that after gaining back the weight she had lost in the 90's, she is now worried about her 6-year-old daughter, Lola, suffering from the same fate because of genetics, especially now that her daughter is eating sweets like most children.
With that being said, does her concern for her child's genetics have any grounds? Will Lola really have weight problems because of genetics? Unfortunately, yes, as children can be obese at some point in their life if their parents are.
This is because a person's body mass is largely dictated by genetics, as much as 70%, while the remaining percentage is determined by the environment. In fact, having obese parents doubles the risk of their children being obese, reported Wayne Mcgregor of eZinearticle.com.
The fault lies with the 400 genes that are responsible for weight determination; affecting a person in things like appetite, sense of fullness, metabolism, food cravings, body fat distribution, and the tendency to use food to cope with stress.
But the good news is that some research shows that genetics only accounts for only 25% of the predisposition to be overweight, but for others, it can go as high as 70% to 80%. As with everyone else, eating habits and the amount of physical exercise a person gets is always a major factor of weight gain.
So with all of this being said, what can people like Carnie Wilson do to appease their minds in the issue of their children getting the genes? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reducing the effects of obesity in populations can be done through the use of family history. This is because family histories reflect the genetic susceptibility and environmental exposures shared by close relatives.
With family histories in check, health care practitioners will be able to identify people at risk of obesity and disorders related to it, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some forms of cancer.