thoughts

2007-05-08

genes and diets and fat, oh my!

at the same time that Consumer Reports rates Dr. Barbara Rolls' (a fellow faculty member here at Penn State) book "The Volumetrics Eating Plan" the top-rated diet plan. the NYTimes (Genes Take Charge, and Diets Fall by the Wayside - New York Times ) suggests:

... that once a person got fat, the body would adjust, making it hopeless to lose weight and keep it off.

meaning that genes are more important that ANY diet in determining a persons body weight and/or level of obesity.

oh my! what to believe... ?!?

as anyone in my genetics course could tell you, neither argument is really correct. a person's body weight is a function of both genes AND environment (including nutrition, dietary choices and habits). there is NO single diet for every combination of genes (or person); no panacea.

though, it is fairly clear that for most of us: less is more.

oh yeah; try walking around the block now and again.


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