Genetics and Weight loss

Do you sometimes feel like genetics is playing a part in your ability to lose weight? I'll be honest. My family has a history of being overweight. My mother and grand mother were both overweight. And let me tell you, they werent the type to eat junk food and not take care of their bodies. We grew up in Italy, a poor country town and they have been overweight ever since I can remember.

I was not overweight when I was young however. I was actually quite slender. It was only during my teens that I put on a lot of weight. I don't blame genetics even if it has a part to play. I have lost and kept my weight off for the past year now and feeling better than ever. However, I have been obsessed with losing weight for most of my life and here is some useful information I came across that might help you out.

Several links between weight and genetics have been found. These include:

* Intra-abdominal fat (fat around abdomen) appears to have a genetic link in the majority of cases.
* Genetics may affect the type of Basal Metabolic Rate we have. A lower-than-average BMR will lead to a tendency to gain weight.
* Appetite can be affected by hereditary factors.
* Genetics can affect the amount of fat and muscle in our body. This fat-muscle ratio has a direct effect on our BMR and thus on our weight.
* Our Thermogenesis - the amount of energy we need to metabolise food - may be affected by genetics. This, too, is likely to affect our weight.


What does all this mean?

Although genetic influences do have a significant influence on body weight, human genes do not change in the space of a few decades! Therefore the huge rise in obesity among all population groups, especially in America, cannot be accounted for by genetic influence or interference.

If you have tried everything and it is still not working, please have a read through the rest of my site. I detail my journey and how I eventually came to lose weight. I have been battling weight issues for a long time and know how you must feel, btu never once was I ready to give up. It is easy to blame other factors such as genetics, and even if it is the case, who says you can't fight science?

And in the meantime, good luck and remember, I did it, YOU CAN DO IT!