“I can’t help it that I’m so fat. That is disposition.” So or similarly many overweight excuse their excess weight and pull themselves so from the responsibility. But they are not even that wrong. In fact, some people have a genetic predisposition that virtually preprograms obesity. Nevertheless, this predisposition can be counteracted with a little discipline, a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Obesity is no longer a marginal phenomenon in Germany. According to the German Obesity Society, one in three German citizens is already significantly overweight.
Overweight as a predisposition?
It is no coincidence that fat couples also have obese children with above-average frequency. Various studies have already provided evidence that not only upbringing and diet, but also genetic predispositions have an influence on a person’s girth.
For example, scientists examined adopted children who were separated from their parents at a very young age and compared the weight of the biological parents with that of the adoptive parents. A clear influence of the genes of the biological parents was found. Studies with identical twins who grew up separately also confirmed this. Researchers now estimate the influence that genetic predisposition has on a person’s body mass at up to 60 percent.
Genetic makeup is not to blame for everything
Even if one parent is fat, the risk for children to become overweight themselves later increases. If both parents are obese, it increases further. Nevertheless, the child does not necessarily have to become fat. However, it will have more difficulty staying slim than some of its peers. This is because the genetic makeup does not automatically cause them to become fat; it only paves the way for them to do so.
While some people seem to be able to eat as much as they want without gaining weight, in the case of those with a tendency to get fat, every little sin immediately ends up on their hips. They are often hungry faster and more often and consume less energy than other people. They gain weight more easily and have greater difficulty losing it again. Some researchers also suspect that the taste buds on the tongue in some people are genetically very sensitive to bitter substances, encouraging a tendency toward sweets and fats, while vegetables are detested.
Education and dietary patterns
Fat parents should therefore pay special attention to a healthy, balanced diet for their children so that they do not learn the wrong eating habits. If parents model for their children that chocolate is comforting, television and chips are considered a reward, and every portion, no matter how large, must be eaten up, the children will adopt these behaviors and thus run a great risk of becoming overweight themselves.
The natural feeling for nutrition is lost as a result of such moderation, which in adulthood leads to the fact that not only hunger triggers the signal to eat, but also anger, stress or boredom. However, those who learn to eat a balanced diet from an early age and develop a healthy attitude toward food need not fear becoming fat.
If overweight: encourage exercise
Sports and exercise are also not only good for children, so joint bike rides or hikes on the weekend and playground visits or walks during the week should not be exceptions. Fat children often have a hard time with sports, they quickly get out of breath and are more noticeable for their red head than for their athletic abilities.
Parents should therefore ensure plenty of physical activity right from the start and encourage children’s natural urge to move rather than put the brakes on it. Later, signing up for a sports club makes sense, because anyone who does a lot of sports as a child and teenager will rarely break this habit as an adult.
So basically, everyone has the chance to be fit and slim. However, some people find this relatively easy, while others, due to their predisposition, have to restrain themselves throughout their lives when eating and have to be disciplined about exercise and abstaining from indulgence. This often costs a lot of energy and some of the joy of life. In extreme cases, this type of restrained eating can even lead to an eating disorder.
