The Fat Gene

Today's Skinny Daily Post reprints a New York Times article about a possible "fat gene" in approximately ten percent of the population, which predisposes people to obesity. Possibly. Maybe. Nor not.

I don't exactly think this is big news, although La Wade will certainly correct me if I'm wrong. Don't we all know people who blame their genetics for fat thighs or big arms? Isn't this predisposition well known? Isn't it obviously true that related people will tend to share a body shape? Sure, it's part nurture, but genetics obviously plays into it, and some people are naturally thinner or heavier than others. Right?

As for myself, I have no biological relatives to speak of, so I have nowhere I can place the blame for my fat, at least not gentically. However, my mother is a "food is love" type of person, as I wrote about in Tales from the Scale on numerous occasions, I believe. In fact, my parents are in town and for Easter I got a pile of candy and pastries! They also critique my weight on a regular basis. Aah, family.

If you have any other ideas about the implications of the "fat gene" let me know. I don't think it really will encourage society to be more tolerant of the overweight, but of course I would be happy to be wrong.