Obesity and Nature Versus Nurture: What Do You Think?

[Alex Brecher 10,515]

There’s plenty of discussion about what causes obesity. There are all kinds of likely causes. The argument for “nature” causing obesity has to do with genetics. Some people have overweight parents and other family members, and seem to gain weight just by looking at food. Researchers have even found a gene mutation that is linked to obesity – but that mutation is rare. Still, there can be other causes of “nature” like hypothyroid, Cushing’s Syndrome, and PCOS.

As for “nurture…” the possibilities are endless. There’s inactivity. There’s a love of food. There’s emotional eating. There’s a poor food environment where healthy foods are less available or less tempting than unhealthy ones, and unhealthy ones (and ads for them) are everywhere. There are medications, lack of sleep, and even stress as possible causes.

What do you think about the respective roles of nature and nurture in causing obesity? What do you think are the most significant factors? Are some people destined to be obese almost from birth (or before) (“nature”)? Or is obesity usually the cause of things we can control (“nurture”)?

In your own case, what do you think are the most influential causes? Did you miss out on the skinny genes? Or have you been a victim of poor decisions, whether by your parents or by you?

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@Alex Brecher - that is the great question. Your answer seems to point to your behavior: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/theres-no-such-thing-as-free-will/480750/

You can blame your genes, glands, lack of self control, and even blame the media and cultural forces beyond your control or you can own up that you messed up and had WLS to fix the mistake.

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I am of the mind at this point to say "who freaken cares?" We are fairly sure that once we have fat cells that have grown to a certain point, they will continue to grow back until we take action and create a new set point.

I think you can make a good case that compulsive gambling, spending, drinking, eating were all egged on by clever marketing. All are destructive behaviors and most who engage in it know intellectually that it is destructive. But there seems to be some parts of our brain we can't control. I wish I could give a definitive answer, but the more I keep learning about brain behaviors, the more I have to give up my dogmatic answers and say "you know we are just starting to figure this out."

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

It is both nature and nurture, as well as a mix of choice and chance.

[Read2016 658]

I think post surgery the answer would be who cares because you now have a tool to help you... I'm pre-op so I have been thinking about how did I get here... I do believe your genes influence your weight... I do believe if you came from the house where you were taught to clean your plate because there are people starving in Africa, you learn the wrong message about food early on... You get over fed, than you get fat... Than you get reminded how your fat and than food becomes more forbidden and negative... Next thing you start to find comfort in food, yet you know this is the thing that has made you fat.. In many ways it could be compared to the abused child who marries a partner who abuses them...I think the nurture part of it is deep and complicated.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Edited May 22, 2016 by nyteacher125

[Alex Brecher 10,515]

@@OKCPirate, thanks for the link to the article. There is definitely something to be said for believing one has the power of choice. I think it may be similar to self-efficacy, or how capable we believe we are at doing something. At some point, as you and @nyteacher12 say, who cares? Regardless of how we got to be obesity, we (at least those of us who decided to get bariatric surgery) know how we’re going to lose the weight: with WLS and changes in habits.

Yes, the human mind is a complicated thing, @@OKCPirate!

@@Inner Surfer Girl, I agree 100%!