First of all, genetics does play a part in what body you will have..but not as much as you would like to believe. There are four factors that come into play when it comes to losing weight.
- Physical Environment
- Social Environment
- Your Behavior
- Genetics
Just to illustrate this, I had a friend a couple years ago who moved from the South to the west coast. At the time of his moving, my friend had blown up like a balloon. He was just about to hit 30 and was experiencing what most guys his age have to deal with- a slowing metabolism in spite of the fact that he still ate like he was 19. Anyway, he left for L.A. and I kind of lost contact with him. A year later, he called me out of the blue wanting to hang out and go get a beer. When we met, he didn't even look like the same person....he was literally 50 pounds lighter. So what did he do?
My friend explained to me that in California there simply weren't as many places to eat out that were as fattening as those in the South. As a result, his diet consisted largely of sushi (which he said there was a sushi restaurant on every corner). No, he didn't go on a 5 a week workout sessions. No, he didn't go on a diet, at least not on one that we all think of when we think of diets. He simply changed venues and was forced not to eat things that he normally ate.
The same goes for families who eat together. If you have ever noticed that some families are all big, then the thinking would be that it must be genetic. This is not true in most cases. Case in point, here is another story for you.
I had a friend named Dan who was an old fraternity buddy of mine. Dan had always been the jolly fat guy since I met him. He was actually really big, topping the scales at 350 pounds on his 5'8 frame. All of his family were bigger people as well and it looked to Dan that it must be his "slow metabolism" that was causing the problem.
Dan had tried all the pre-fab diets that see on tv and got the exact same results that most get when they go on these diets. Then, one day, Dan decided to try the Atkins (a diet I don't suggest). In just a little under 6 months, Dan managed to shed 100 pounds. Now, most people who are on these diets (like the Atkins) lose weight and simply gain it back when they come off the diet. However, Dan decided to do something different.
He came off the Atkins diet and started to add an exercise regimen to his daily activities. He also started to avoid all those "bad carbs" and replaced them with a healthy supply of fruits and vegatables. Well, needless to say, a year later Dan dropped below the 200 mark and ran his second marathon. The point is that if you are using "genetics" as a reason as to why you aren't losing weight, then you should probably investigate whether this is truly the case.
That said, there are a few people who will be genetically pre-disposed to be "fat" but that number is a very low number. A few years back, when everyone who was larger started talking about having thyroid issues, all I could think about was most of the rest of the civilized world doesn't have this problem. Let's face it...take a look at the French. Sure, you can find some who are obese but most aren't. And since most of us who are "anglo" would have to suppose that most of our genetics originated in the european world.
Same goes for African-Americans as well. I live in the South and see how heavy some people get from this race. However, if you look to Africa, you won't find "obese" people like you do in the South. If this is the case, then genetics probably doesn't have as much to do with as much as all of those (very) good fried foods that we southerners gorge ourselves on.
In the 1930's, Dr. Sheldon developed a list of different body types that we can have. Here are the three:
- Ectomorph- This is the lean (and sometimes lanky) body type. This person is the guy or gal that everyone hates. They can eat like a horse and don't gain weight. While those of us who are constantly battling our weight would love to have this body, most ectomorphs are on a constant quest to gain weight....something that their super quick metabolism doesn't allow.
- Mesomorphs- This is the body type of the models. Lean, muscular and fit, this type represents all the "sexiness" of the body. Not many people are genetically disposed to this body type. In all my 35 years, I have met (count them) 4 people who have this body type.
- Endomorphs- Oh boy, here we go. This is the body type that most of us have to deal with...This type retains weight just looking at a piece of cake and the endomorphs can gain weight very easily, especially if they aren't watching what they eat and exercising. Some endomorphs get very frustrated because the thinking is that if they exercise alot, they will eventually have the body of....a mesomorph.
For example, some people will metabolize carbohydrates poorly which in turn will make maintaining a good level of blood sugar a much more difficult task. What happens to these people? Well, let me give you an example. Let's say you eat a piece of cake. Your blood sugar levels will spike and you will release an excessive amount of insulin (or if you are diabetic, you won't release enough). Too much insulin means that your body won't be able to release the stored body fat as efficiently and thus, you will gain weight. That is the unscientific, layman's guide of it at least.
Let's face it, losing weight for most of us is a battle. For most of us, it isn't easy. However, to use the "genetics" card as an excuse in my opinion is not much of an excuse at all. Sure, genetics plays a role in how you retain and lose weight. Sure, there are a few people who are genetically predisposed to being obese just as there are a few people who are genetically predisposed to having a killer body with no work. However, for the rest of us all we need to do is examine what we are doing that is wrong and change this. Obviously things such as diet and exercise are important but remember the social factors that are involved as well. Happy dieting y'all.
Truth about Abs
