Our brains are what make us fat, not just our eating habits. A variation in a single gene is associated with an increased risk for obesity, because it influences our appetite.
People who have inherited the gene variant NRXN3 have a 10-15% increased risk of being obese compared with people who do not have the variant. This is the third obesity-associated gene to be identified.
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…unless you’re a mouse – One of the most depressing pieces of scientific evidence for dieters has been the news that mice on severely calorie restricted diets live much longer?so therefore maybe we should eat that way too. The good news? It only works for mice!
If you are a mouse on the chubby side, then eating less may help you live longer. For lean mice?and possibly for lean humans?the anti-aging strategy known as caloric restriction may be a pointless, frustrating and even dangerous exercise.Researcher Raj Sohal says, “Today there are a lot of very healthy people who look like skeletons because they bought into this.” (Hmmm?we haven’t seen many people who look like that around!)
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Maybe it’s the sports – Sports fans have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) than do people who are less personally committed and emotionally involved with a sports team.?and it’s not just because they don’t get off the couch! For some mysterious reason, the guys who go to the ball park are just as unhealthy (could it be because hot dogs they eat there?)
Maybe gaining weight is all in the brain. Using brain imaging and chocolate milkshakes, scientists have found that people with weakened “reward circuitry” in their brains are at increased risk of weight gain over time. And if you eat quickly (wolf down your food), you?re TWICE AS LIKELY to get fat! Eating food in a stadium seat is something you do quickly, compared with dining in a restaurant or at home.read more
According to a new study, roughly 86% of Americans age 18 and older may be overweight or obese by 2030 and related health care costs would double every decade and could reach $956.9 billion in 2030?1 of every 6 health care dollars spent. The study also estimates that by 2022, about 80% of adults may be overweight or obese, and 100% could be by 2048. But the prevalence will reach 100% a in black women a decade earlier?by 2034. Black girls and Mexican-American boys are especially vulnerable: four in 10 may become overweight or obese by 2030, and half by 2050.
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