UW scientist: Third of the population has a susceptibility to obesity
May 3, 2016, 6:39 AM | Updated: 1:21 pm
Scientists say susceptibility to weight gain may be in our genes. (AP)
(AP)
Everybody knows most diets don’t work, but do you realize just how badly they don’t work?
According to the New York Times, a follow-up on contestants from the reality show “The Biggest Loser” found that of 14 contestants from Season 8 in 2009, exactly one person managed to keep the weight off. Nine gained most of it back, one gained all of it back, and three are actually heavier now than when they started.
Why? Because it turns out when people suddenly lose weight, their metabolism changes. It slows way down because the body wants to be obese again.
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“They even dream about eating because it’s become such a fixation.”
I talked with Dr. Michael Schwartz, director of the Nutrition and Obesity research center at the University of Washington, who says a third of the population has a susceptibility to obesity.
“It’s not so much that the genes cause the obesity as much as they make you susceptible,” he said. “And if the environment is one that favors weight gain then the susceptible person will gain the weight.”
If you have the obesity gene, your brain is basically programmed to point you toward French fries.
It’s tough because we’re surrounded by temptation – food that’s designed to be addictive and relentless TV ads. You can’t avoid it. In fact, I was watching CSPAN yesterday, which you’d think would be an appetite suppressant. In fact, I had a Ted Cruz rally on and what do I hear?
“I gotta say to all the kids here, when Heidi Cruz is First Lady, French fries are coming back to the lunchroom.”
That’s what we’ll be dreaming about tonight.
(By the way, he must really want to win Indiana.)
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