Everyone in My Family Is Fat! Genetics, Environment, and Breaking the Legacy of Family Obesity

Chances are you inherited more from your parents than brown hair, brown eyes, freckles, and a tall stature. Body weight and eating habits are also largely inherited. So what does it mean when everyone in your family is overweight - mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, and even Great Aunt Ida? It means you may hit a few extra bumps along the road to good health. But a family legacy of obesity doesn't have to be a death sentence.

The Role of Genetics

There's no question genetics play a role in overweight and obesity. You may warmly refer to your family as "big-boned" or "pear-shaped" or insist that "We just like to eat." And there may be some truth to that. Evidence from twin, adoption, and family studies strongly suggests that biological relatives exhibit similarities in body weight and shape. For example, children of obese parents tend to be obese themselves. Research shows that if one parent is obese, their child has a 50% chance of being obese. This figure increases to 80% if both parents are obese.

Genetics determine a number of things, from our appetite and the amount of fat we have around the abdomen (the famous apple- or pear-shaped distinction) to how speedy our metabolism is, the amount of fat and muscle we carry, and the amount of energy we need to metabolize food. All of these genetic factors can affect a person's weight and can be passed down generation to generation in the form of genetic variations that may contribute to obesity.

Individuals with a family history of obesity may be predisposed to weight gain. Even if food intake and physical activity are held constant, some people tend to store more energy as fat than others. Some people can eat junk food from dawn till dusk without gaining weight, while one mini chocolate bar will immediately show up on the thighs of someone else. You can blame your DNA for some of these differences.

Studies have confirmed that some people have to exercise for hours to get the results another person sees in just 60 minutes. This is because there are two sets of genes that influence fat mass, weight, and risk of obesity. Adults carrying variants in both genes are, on average, 8.5 pounds heavier than those without both gene variants. It's certainly not fair, but the sooner you accept the reality, the sooner you'll be able to take your destiny into your own hands.

Environmental Factors

Most of our nation's problem with obesity has been caused by a high-calorie diet and a sedentary lifestyle, not because children are born genetically obese. In rare circumstances, people can have mutations in single genes that result in severe obesity that starts in infancy. But for most of us, overweight and obesity are primarily the product of nurture rather than nature.

Our parents pass on to us far more than genes - they pass on habits and model behaviors that have a dramatic effect on our choices as adults. As children grow up, they soak in the "norms" of everyone around them. If everyone in the family is overweight, the child will assume that carrying 20-30 extra pounds is normal and acceptable. When children grow up in households marked by poor eating habits and inactivity, where television and video games are the main source of family entertainment, they are 33.3 percent more likely to become overweight or obese as young adults.

In addition to habits and behaviors modeled for us by our parents, household income, parent education, and demographic factors all play a role in obesity. The higher a parent's education level, the lower their children's risk of being overweight or obese. A study in the International Journal of Obesity showed that children with wealthy parents are more likely to be overweight or obese than those from poor households. Further, studies have shown that certain cities have higher rates of obesity due to weather conditions, culture, and the accessibility of restaurants. All of these environmental factors relate more directly to overweight and obesity than genetics.

Overcoming the Family Legacy

Here's the good news: Since genetics only play a minor role in the obesity epidemic, having generations of obese relatives in your family tree doesn't mean you're doomed to a lifetime of weight issues. By making healthier choices and exercising 30 minutes a day, you can get your own weight under control and create a new, healthy legacy for your own family. If you are a not-so-proud member of an overweight family, here are a few steps you can take to set a new standard in your own household:

Be a positive role model. The only way to break the family legacy of obesity is to change your own habits. Just like you did as a child, kids do as you do, not as you say. When you become a parent, your kids look to you to see how to behave. If you eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limit sweets and fast foods, your whole family will follow your lead. If you play active games like tag or cops and robbers, hop around like a bunny, or take your kids to the batting cages or bowling, your kids will get used to moving in their free time.

Eat healthy meals and snacks. Have structured mealtimes and snacks so your kids know they eat only at certain times. Model and insist on good habits like eating breakfast and balancing the occasional treat with a steady diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Keep only healthy foods and snacks like fruit and pre-cut vegetables in your home so kids aren't tempted by less nutritious options.

Prepare and eat meals together as a family. Make mealtime a time to relax, enjoy each other's company, and fuel your body. Turn off the TV during meals and talk about your day. Families that do not eat together tend to consume more fried foods and soda and less fruits and vegetables than families that share meals.

Set goals for yourself and your family. Set concrete goals like limiting television and video game time to 1-2 hours a day and taking a walk three times a week. Make sure the goals you set are realistic. As you make progress, reward yourself and your family with praise and fun activities.

Get moving. Make physical activity a routine part of the day. Do active things together as a family, like bike riding, walking, swimming, or even household chores. Make sure your kids play outside and develop extracurricular interests after school so they spend less time in front of the TV and other media. If you're planning a family vacation, incorporate physical activity like hiking, biking, skiing, or camping into the daily agenda.

Scientists continue to research the role of genetics in obesity and overweight. Until we understand more, people will continue trying to overcome their genetics in dozens of ways - plastic surgeries, medications, colored contacts, hair dye. Why not add a change of lifestyle to the list? What works for everyone else may not work for you, but it is within your power to find what does. Your children, and your children's children, will thank you for it.