The social context of the article is the way our genes program us, specifically, how one gene can have the ability to affect whether we are slim or fat. The latter is also directly related to health problems that can be acquired when obese, such as diabetes and heart disease. The article was found in the science section of The Guardian, so the likely audience of this article would have been people interested in scientific research about genetics, academics and everyone in between, as the article speaks of an issue that affects the general population. The purpose of the article is explaining people's genetic makeup and how something like people's tendency to gain weight can actually be determined by the activity of the adipose gene and not …show more content…
''One copy of this gene (FTO) leads to a 1.2kg (3lb) weight increase while those with two copies are, on average, 3kg (7lb) heavier. One of the opinions found in the text is Prof Graff saying that even though our bodies storing fat was a useful and important function of our bodies, ''it has backfired in the west.'' Some of the medical conditions linked to obesity include diabetes, heart disease and premature death. The main points that would summarize the first three paragraphs of the text are: 1. Scientists have uncovered the adipose gene, a gene that could determine whether a person is fat or slim. 2. The discovery of the adipose gene occurred in fruit flies over 50 years ago, but until the recent times scientists did not know exactly how it worked. 3. The activity levels of the adipose gene have been found to have an affect on fat formation. An inactive copy of the gene in animals made them become obese. 4. The discovery of the gene and how it works could help explain why many people have weight problems and it can aid the development of medical treatments that would tackle obesity and health risks linked to it. Professor Graff's team studied the gene by switching it on and off in mice and fruit flies. The results of their experiment showed that mice with a higher level of adipose gene activity were leaner and had fat cells that were diabetes-resistant, as opposed to the mice with reduced gene activity that were fatter, despite their diets and
Candidate genes allow researchers to come up with rational hypothesis of role of these genes and their contribution to different conditions, in this case obesity. Therefore, they are potential predisposition factors. Candidate genes are chosen on a basis of knowledge of their function, biochemistry and their expression pattern (what protein they encode for and where is this protein mainly expressed) in obesity. At present, there are about 300 genes that have been hypothesized to contribute (to some extent) to obesity development.
The previously mentioned peak and the positions where obesity has greatly amassed revealed a genetic trait that tends towards obesity. In the 1960’s, people developed the “thrifty gene” hypothesis, saying that genes leading to obesity could be inherited. The hypothesis was supported by the knowledge that digestive metabolisms have been naturally selected to favor obese traits.
Do our genes affect our decisions? Can the environment alter our genetic makeup? In Sharon Moalem’s work “Changing Our Genes,” he writes about how the environment around us and our ancestors has contributed to the making of our genes. Genes are the instructions to make proteins which is ultimately the making of us. In Kevin Beaver’s “Genetic Influences on Adolescents,” he emphasizes the groundbreaking research in the similarities of children’s eating habits compared with their siblings and how genetics is a contributing factor. Our genes do not define us, but they do play a role in what our choices in life will be. One of the choices we make is regarding our lifestyle, specifically, how active we are and what we choose to consume. Additionally, Liam, a 12-year-old boy in the documentary film Overfed and Undernourished who has obesity realized that in order to avoid healthy problems at such a tender age and to live a longer more active life he needs to combat his excess weight. Also in “The Epidemic of
Social factors play very important role in our society,Through the influence of these factors, Obesity is one of main concern in US. The growing obesity rates in the US and it's affect on consumer culture is debating towards our future. Studies have suggested that the obesity is social distributed , into different social groups, some other factors such as martial status is linked cross-sectionally with obesity ( Sobal J, Raushenbach BS, 1992 ). When applying obesity into racial profiles over 80% of black women over the age of forty are overweight and obese( Wang and beydou ,2007) compare to white and Latino woman’s. However, socio-demographic and one 's racial profile shouldn't consist on growing obesity, Even though SES
Genes control almost every aspect of human life, and when it comes to weight there is no exception. Little is known, however, how much of an individual’s genes actually control the weight of certain individuals. Body fat can vary from person to person, yet some people have always carried more weight than others. Often times, when one person is overweight in the family, most of the other individuals in the same family are overweight as well. However, more than just genetics can go into being overweight, and a person’s genes are not the end all be all of obesity. Many times the environment surrounding people who are obese contributes to the overall weight of the individual, and when obesity promoting genes are mixed
The main points of chapter two talks about fat, how we as humans get fat, and the people’s views on the subject of fat. Now in our modern world food is everywhere in different ways where it be fresh or preserved and this is a huge problem for humans because eating too much can cause the build up of unnecessary fats in your body. This chapter also talks about ways to prevent our genes from making us overweight or obese. Simples things you can do to counter our genes from making us overweight and obese is throwing junk food and not purchasing at all so it can benefit your health and causes you not to have the urge to eat. An example that the book has provided is to lay out two piles of chips from a similar pack, we eat one stack when we're feeling hungry for a bite and we dispose of the other stack before expending the other stack, making a point to obviously devastate the waste stack to keep ourselves from scrounging through the waste repository for the
A person’s genetic make up has a significant influence on whether the person will become obese or not. If both parents are obese, the likelihood that their children may end up being obese too is higher compared to a situation where neither of the parents is obese or where only one of the parents is obese. This is particularly so because genetics influence the way the body stores energy and how energy is used. This can be seen in the differences that have recorded in the basal metabolic rates (BMR) among groups of people who differ by age, gender and the make up of their bodies. People who have a low metabolic rate have a higher risk of becoming overweight. The genetic similarities shared by members of one family can explain why people who come form certain families end up being overweight (DeBruyne, Pinna
Nguyen and El-Seraq (2010) report that obesity is “a complex interaction between the environment, genetic predisposition, and human behavior” (p. 4). According to Glassman, et al. (2013) there are a number of factors that can lead to obesity, including heredity, gender, race, emotions, inactivity, and diet. Cristakis and Fowler (2007) found that social networking between family members and friends can also influence becoming obese. If one or more family members or friends are obese, chances are greater that others within the group will be obese. This can lead to entire
Obesity has been linked to genetics. It has been researched and proven that children with parents who are obese, would have between 5-25% chance of likely inheriting genes that would eventually make them obese. However, genes is not an excuse for obesity because it does not work alone but must have the right factors present to manifest.
indicate that inherited genetic variation is an important risk factor for obesity. It was also pointed
Obesity is a health condition where a persons body weight is heavier than what is considered healthy for a certain height. To determine if someone is obese, a nutritionist measures their body mass index, which correlates with their amount of body fat. If the BMI is 30 or above, their body weight is twenty percent higher than an ideal height weight ratio and considered obeast.
Some obese and overweight individuals have single mutations in their genes, although this is uncommon in the population. Most obese individuals have mutations on multiple chromosomes, which interact with one another. Of the few reported cases of monogenic obesity, the primary cause was a mutation in the melanocortin 4 receptor gene. These mutations account for 6-8% of severe inheritable obese symptoms, with the common variant of the MC4R gene being carried by 22% of the general population. With a loss of function in the gene, it has led to an increased appetite in childhood. Treatment for MC4R deficiency or other mutations has not be done yet, due to the low prevalence of variants in the general population. There is a need for future research to identify which specific genes or groups of genes have a link to obesity. It is recommended the testing will have practical implications for the mechanism-based therapy as well as effective and specific protocols. This should be the case for individuals who have the muted mutation and the protocols should be based on lifestyle intervention and pharmacological or surgical
Researches studies differ on whether obese consume more energy (calories) than non-obese individuals. Some show they do consume more; others show they may consumer fewer calories. The big difference may be in the type of nutrients that they consume, such as fat. For example, Gazzaniga, found that the percentage of body fat was positively correlated with total dietary fat. Still, other researchers suggest that the reasons are metabolic in origin and that obese individuals "process" foods differently resulting in an increase in body fat. Although how these factors affect obesity are not fully understood, one thing is clear: Obesity results when energy intake exceeds energy expenditure and is stored as fat.
The topic that I have chosen to look at is obesity. The aim of this topic is to find out whether “the ignorance of genetics as a contra factor of obesity”. I have chosen to look at this topic because obesity is concerns me. Obesity has always been a bid debate for a long time now and I was intrigued to find out more about the topic and the cause of obesity. The fact that obesity has made deadlines news in recent years. There are a lot of misconceptions about obesity such as overweight is caused by a sow metabolism. There have been a lot of beliefs and myths about obesity in society today and he above myths is on of them. According to Donnellan (1998) ‘ ‘people who are overweight have told their doctors that they eat no more and
Obesity is one of the most genetically predisposed traits (Walley, A et al 2006). Genetic studies have shown that heritability estimates for obesity are high (typically >70%), which parallels with other polygenic diseases like