Sat, Dec-06-03, 06:31
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... Pro-Atkins!
Posts: 1,705
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Plan: General LC
Stats: 312/274/220
BF:
Progress: 41%
Location: Tacoma, WA
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I'm so sorry Leigh ... What a jerk. I love your idea to post a picture and his evil words on a mirror. Nothing motivates me like proving an enemy wrong. And I do think this guy qualifies as an enemy to your physical and psychological health.
I am going to respectfully disagree with some of the other posters here.
According to the American Dietetic Association:"Evidence for a strong genetic contribution of human obesity comes from a variety of sources. Twin and familial aggregation studies suggest that genetic factors account for 60% to 80% of the predisposition to obesity (16-19). The genetic basis of obesity has also been shown in animal studies."
"There are at least several dozen genes involved in obesity, and not only does current weight status have an inherited component, but the metabolic processes underlying weight gain may have strong genetic influences (25)."
I strongly believe genetics play a large role in size. Just as our height, eye and skin color is something we're born with, so is our weight range. We can manipulate that range, but it's unlikely that we'll escape it entirely.
By this I don't mean to say obesity is something nature intended for us. And I know many (if not most) people are very fat due to environmental factors alone. However, I feel some of us with genetic pre-disposition won't comfortably retain what our current society regards as a 'normal' weight.
In my family, there wasn't a female relative in three generations who couldn't be classified as obese. My childhood was spent on a very low calorie diet because those same women were horrified that the pattern would repeat in me. The combination of genetics and training my body to conserve energy resulted in a weight of 300 pounds at high school graduation.*
I'm striving for 190 pounds, a weight I probably hit on the way up at age 13. However, by the official Height Weight Charts, I'll be still be 'overweight' with a BMI of 28. That's okay with me, because I think it's unrealistic to expect much less.
In my opinion it's for us to work within our genetic range and do the best we can for our health. No one is doomed to be obese, but not all of us will be able to comfortably maintain a Twiggy-like figure.
Just my opinion, Leigh. Take care and don't let the jerk get you down.
* BTW, I'm not blaming my family for this, it's just a piece of the size puzzle.
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