Scientists in London have recently found that more than 30 new gene variations linked to obesity in research that could help explain why some people are so obese. They say the shapes of people's bodies have to do with obesity. Some people are pear shaped and some are apple shaped. There are over 400 scientists from 280 research institutions looking further into the issues to find new ways to treat or prevent it. They do stress that genes are a major factor but the main reason for obesity is lack of exercise and bad diet.
Studies show the places where we store our fat in our bodies can have different affects on our health. Type two diabetes and heart disease are linked with the fat around the waist, when this is the case they categorize the body type as apple-shaped. However, having your fat in your butt and thighs has less risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. This would be a pear shape body type.
The second study looked for genes to connect with body mass index. A BMI between 25 and 30 is overweight and the BMI of 30 or over is obese. Researches scanned almost 250,000 people to look for DNA clues, the results found 18 new genetic regions linked to BMI. The new results found that the genes in the brain influence appetite which can control insulin and metabolism. The study found people who inherit many BMI increasing DNA comes from their parents and weigh more then those who weight more from different reasons.
Another pressing issue obesity is causing, is that Americans are becoming too obese to serve for the National Defense. From 2007 to 2008 5.7 million American men and 16.5 women were ineligible to serve being they were overweight. In the half century the number of women ineligible has tripled and for men it has doubled. Obesity is no longer being just a personal health issue; it is becoming a treat to the national security.
It was interesting to see the different body types compared to apples and pears. Is there a body type that is in between?
ReplyDeleteI was also surprised about the national defense portion. Were those people rejected completely? Or sent to lose weight before they were accepted? I like the last sentence by the way. Seems to have a lot of impact on the reader.
This is an interesting article. It would greatly help society if researchers found a practical solution for obesity. The problem with obesity is that it can cause many other problems, like the article mentions diabetes and heart diseases. In this case it is the gateway to the number one cause of death in the US, according to CDC.gov (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm) in the latest data collected in 2007, it is heart disease.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think that although the numbers of males and females who cannot enlist in the Armed Forces have greatly increased, i think it is fair to say that "Obesity is no longer being just a personal health issue; it is becoming a treat to the national security" is a far stretch.
Obesity is a growing problem. It seems like everyday there is a new topic being discussed surrounding obesity. These new findings, are rather unfortuante. It's great that research is being done in the area of obesity, however, the idea that someones body shape (something they have no control over) can affect whether or not they are obese.
ReplyDeleteI was also curious as to whther there is a middleground between pear and apple shaped. If so, does that mean that those who are in between are less susceptible (aside from the leack of diet and exercise) to becoming obese?
The last point about the National Defense is just upsetting. Its just another prime example of how negatively obesity is affecting our country and everyday lives.