Some people (OK, a lot of people) are drawn to fattening foods. They can't resist brownie sundaes, buttery scones, and french fries. 
Now it seems a lack of willpower may not be the only culprit: New research shows it could be because of your genes.
A specific gene, named FTO, isn't necessarily a gene that causes obesity. But it does give those who have the gene a stronger tendency to eat richer, fattening foods, which in turn can make them overeat. In a study involving 2,700 children, on average the children with the gene variant ate 100 calories more than those without the gene. That translates to gradual weight gain over time and can lead to obesity.
There could turn out to be many genes associated with an increased risk for obesity, so more research needs to be conducted for sure. But someday, people may be blaming their weight gain on their genes. "What? That chocolate cake? My FTO gene made me do it."
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I think there's some truth to this. Personally, I relate. Obesity runs in my family (as well as all the medical conditions that obesity brings). Trust me, I am a certainly a member of my family as far as the capacity to overeat. I'm petite, but I could eat my weight in food in one sitting, take a break for an hour, come back, and eat another enormous amount of food. I could do this all day long. I'm not kidding.
Because I know this about myself, I don't overeat. I don't want to open Pandora's box. Just because I'm predisposed to obesity, doesn't mean I will automatically be obese. I make it a habit to eat healthy, and to eat appropriate portions.
I weigh 105 lbs, and I'm about a size 2 or 4. In my family, I'm an anomaly.
1I really hope that your last statement in this post doesn't come true, Fit. There are already enough silly excuses made for the reasons that people are obese or their unhealthy habits. Like GlowingMoon said, just because there's a predisposition, doesn't mean you have to act on it.
2Maybe some people have this gene.
However, what percentage of our population is overweight? obese? morbidly obese? Don't tell me that whole population has the obesity gene.
While they are always other - medical - reasons for weight gain, the MAJORITY of people eat too much and don't exercise.
3i think that it's interesting that there are now all these studies showing our propensity to like certain things or do certain things and this is just another example of that. i like to think that i enjoy fries etc just because i do - not because i'm already predetermined to like it. when it's the case that there's a genetic link, i feel like it at times gives people excuses not to do things about it.
4This may be true! I try my best to take care of myself by working out and eating right, but I often have a strong pull to gorge down french fries or chocolate cake. It's sometimes irresistable and I always wondered how freakishly odd it was as my brain always told the rest of me to lay off the fries or cake but some how I could never get over the urge. This discovery of the gene makes a lot of sense as to why it's so hard to resist such foods.
5I think it's clear some people have a more difficult time staying away from food and have a harder time losing the extra weight, but this shouldn't be used as an excuse. Those individuals will just have to work harder at losing weight, like some people have a hard time with math, every one has their own problems to overcome.
6Big eyeroll on this one.
7Perhaps there is a genetic link. But although I can say obesity runs in my family, I can really only say that of the past 3 generations. 4th generation and beyond my relatives all were pretty thin, because they worked hard and were living through some tough times. And they didn't have McDonald's!!!
8Actually past 2 generations. and not including my own. I think it's the food that we eat nowadays and our lifestyles that is the biggest factor. just sayin'
9If there's an obesity gene in my family, I think almost everyone has it...heck, I even used to be overweight too. But you can change your destiny fairly easily. Your genes are fairly plastic; environmental factors have a lot to do with how your body looks. I know I have the capacity to be overweight and I know what I personally have to do to stay at a healthy weight, so I stick with my healthy habits and stay at a healthy weight.
10Somehow I'm not surprised that there are commenters who automatically connected this article with the excuse-making and laziness they think causes overweight. Thinking that laziness causes overweight is pervasive in this society, and laziness is considered some sort of moral infraction in our society. So, these commenters have implied that overweight people contemptible in their indolence. Please, stop making implicit value judgments about people based on weight and what personal characteristics you perceive their body sizes reveal about them.
The fact of the matter is that this type of information is useful. Genetics do play a role not just in build, but also in our habits. They don't have to have the final say, but they have to be factored in when you map out a health plan for your life. Along with your emotional relationship to food and your self-concept (it's certainly hard to do good things for your body when you hate yourself--and living in a society where self-loathing is encouraged for the overweight certainly is a contributing factor). And if you haven't figured it all out yet and are overweight as a result, you are not a bad person. You aren't lazy or an excuse-maker or deserving of unhappiness. And people certainly shouldn't judge you for it--tacitly or otherwise.
11I am very drawn to anything made with potatoes, especially french fries. I've always blamed that on my Irish heritage and the fact that almost all my ancestors emigrated from Ireland during the potato famine. Nice to know maybe there's a tiny bit of truth to it!
12There can be health reasons related to wanting to chow down on those fries. I started craving carbs like crazy earlier this year and couldn't understand why. Turns out I have low thyroid. My doc says carb-craving is symptomatic of hypo-thyroid. Since I started taking a thyroid hormone, the cravings are practically gone. (Now I eat fries on occasion because I love them!)
13I don't get the fascination w/ fries. They are just fried potatoes. I don't like potatoes, so I don't like fries. Then again, I have a sweet tooth at times (especially chocolate during that time of the month...) but I don't always act on it. Everyone is in control of their cravings and what they put in their mouths. I know that sounds insensitive, but it's true. Obesity doesn't run in my family - but some of my family members are overweight. Not naturally, but because they do not take care of themselves. Everyone I know who is overweight isn't because of genetics (as far as I know) but because they don't exercise and have horrible eating habits, like not eating at times but then eating a lot when they do eat.
I don't think liking fries or anything else is because of genetics. This really only gives people yet another excuse for being unhealthy.
14I can't turn down fries or cake - even if I have a small bite - I simply can't turn those two things down. But I'm not overweight... I just love potatoes and cake!
15now I can blame my french fry love on my DNA!
16I definitely think our society is lazier as a whole than generations going back to 100+ years ago, but I don't think that makes us bad people if we are overweight because of it. It's not a moral infraction to me so much as just a general change in our way of life over the years. We just don't DO the kinds of things that people used to HAVE to do in order to survive. It's just a fact. Also, the kinds of things we eat as a society these days if you had given those same things to our gr.gr.gr grandparents - they wouldn't have considered it food! OKay, that's sort of stretching it but I'm just trying to make the point that it is the kinds of food we eat and the change in lifestyle. The obesity that runs in my family is only 2 generations deep. I think there may be a reason other than it's in our genes unless our genes suddenly took a strange morph in just the last 70 years!
17Actually, this is really strange, I was just thinking about this. I am a vegetarian, and I do it for ethical reasons mostly- I loved eating meat before! The strange thing is, I don't miss it, and I just have great willpower to avoid meat products. So why the heck am I still so drawn to fatty foods? If I can give up an entire food group, it would seem like I have pretty good willpower. But I just love fatty foods. The only reason I am not really large right now, I think, is because I can control myself from eating too often, but I still am just drawn to these unhealthy foods.
EDM, rivrchild- I agree, we need to stop treating this like a moral issue, and need to stop shaming people. We can use information like this to help people understand why they are overweight, and to help find ways to fight obesity. I'm lucky I'm not overweight, but I understand these cravings described here, and the frustration of not being able to resist them.
18EDM - props to you. I agree.
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