Genetics, the controller of your life, and the closest scientific explanation of destiny. To me I think genetics is an old beat up excuse. It is an excuse for people to be lazy, stay lazy, and act like they have no clue what is going on in their life. Yes, having some genes can make you predisposed to some disease, but it does not mean you will have the disease when you get older. It means you should also develop the live a healthy life gene, and do not create bad habits gene. It means you should create as good of an environment as you possible can so that you do not come down with your genetics weakness. genee
Genetics seems to be the way our medical field is moving. To me this is scary. Our genes are essentially what make me me, and you you. If we somehow perfect the perfect genetic code we could all be the same. Anyways their has been a lot of talk on studies being done on mice and the affects of the “obesity gene”. They are trying to see why it makes people fat.
The obesity gene has been discovered for a long time, but not until recently have they discovered how this gene works. They called the gene FTO, and mice that did not have the gene pigged out, slouched around all day, and miraculously stayed leaner. Sounds like the perfect remedy for people to lazy to exercise or eat right. Some other research has found that the people who have this lovely FTO gene carry 7 pounds more on average, and are 70% more likely to become obese. 70% is a big number. We either have people not trying to stay healthy, or this gene is just an end all be all type of gene. My guess is on the people are not trying to stay healthy.
Mice actually are very close to humans when it comes to our genes or DNA, so the studies done on these mice can show how this FTO gene make us gain some unwanted weight. This is a pretty big step for pharmaceutical companies. Their is an estimated 400 million obese people in the world, and that number is rising. Here in the states for every 3 people, 2 of them are overweight. These numbers are frightening, but these numbers are getting worse. This shows something is wrong in the system. Something needs to be changed.
Being obese raises just about every risk factor you could think of. When your body has to carry around all that extra weight, it undergoes a lot more stress then usual. Just imagine carrying around a 50 pound dumbbell everywhere you go.
Performing these studies can eventually lead to a cure for obesity. They are treating obesity like a disease, and not a lifestyle choice. People can lose the weight, FTO gene or not, people can lose weight. It might be harder for some, but it is still is possible. I can see the future. When the first commercial comes on television talking up the effects of the FTO gene, then they question you if you are obese with some scary statistics, and finally the big sales pitch for whatever the drug will be called. stylowakobieta
Here is my pep peeve. Why are we doing this research? Yes it is important and can be done for the sake of knowledge, but why not look to the past when people were not fat? Look at how they stayed lean, what they ate, and how their lifestyle was. We need to stop studying sickness looking for health. Study health to find health. Look at older societies where sickness and disease was not present. Look at how they stayed fit and lean.
So my take home point is to stop studying sickness to find health. Do not let your genetics control who you are, and who you will become. Your environment plays an important part along with genetics, and in my opinion plays a more important part. You have the power to change yourself, whether that is beating diabetes, becoming a top level athlete, excelling in school, or some other goal. You can do it, good genes or not.