the 'fat' gene?

[Hazel at the Hill]

I think that today's 'standard' portion sizes of meat are higher than they used to be too, so we have become used to seeing more on the plate as being normal.

When I was little, I was told that you allowed 4oz of meat as a portion which meant that a pound of mince (450g in today's money) would feed a family of four in a cottage pie. A pack of mince now (500g - a 10% rise in portion size without blinking) makes a skinny cottage pie for four unless you add loads of mushrooms/onions/beans etc.

The same with chicken breasts - these have grown in size too - average size seems to be about 150g a portion, or half as much again as we used to have.

[Jax]

I think it also has something to do with where you are in your life with stress etc. It has taken me four years to be in the right state of mind and to be in the right "place" to be able to actually do it. So, no I dint think genetics have something to do with it. I think there are so many contributors it would be impossible to pinpoint any one thing

[Alison]

I think that today's 'standard' portion sizes of meat are higher than they used to be too, so we have become used to seeing more on the plate as being normal.

When I was little, I was told that you allowed 4oz of meat as a portion which meant that a pound of mince (450g in today's money) would feed a family of four in a cottage pie. A pack of mince now (500g - a 10% rise in portion size without blinking) makes a skinny cottage pie for four unless you add loads of mushrooms/onions/beans etc.

The same with chicken breasts - these have grown in size too - average size seems to be about 150g a portion, or half as much again as we used to have.

I agree to a certain extent with this but in our house 1lb of mince still does meals for 4 or 6 if padded out and I really wouldn't want any more. I consider myself to eat loads but will always pile on loads of veggies (whats the point in growing them otherwise?) which gives me lots of colour and texture for added interest. I can't remember ever denying myself any food that I actually wanted but then again I've never seen the point of snacking so rarely eat anything other than fruit between meals. Was brought up like that and it became a habit from early on which I think makes a difference.

OH's family snack for England but will always tell you that they only eat tiny meals (they do but a - they're not healthy ones and b - after all the snacks they probably don't need a meal at all!) so can't understand why they are overweight and how me and my family are so lucky to have a genetic advantage. What they fail to have noticed is that OH despite being a rather podgy kid now eats far more heathily and exercises loads and as a result doesn't have a weight issue. There are exceptions and it does get more difficult as you get older but there are also some people who are in denial over what they actually eat - no idea which camp anybody on here falls into as I've not seen what you eat / how you live so please don't think this is pointed at any individuals

[taff]

There are exceptions and it does get more difficult as you get older but there are also some people who are in denial over what they actually eat - no idea which camp anybody on here falls into as I've not seen what you eat / how you live so please don't think this is pointed at any individuals

Tell me about it.My mother tells me they eat healthily etc,but when I see what they do eat when I go home, it's humungous portions and seconds, and all in the evening.

[Two_Sheds]

My mother tells me they eat healthily etc,but when I see what they do eat when I go home, it's humungous portions and seconds, and all in the evening.

My OH's mum is the same: big cooked breakfast, lunch & dinner, lots of pastry, butter, cream etc. Always a pudding. To her generation it's a healthy diet (just because it's not from MacD), but for someone who doesn't take any exercise ... well, OH is 5 stone overweight

[northepaul]

Going back to the original question about fat genes and do they exist..I would say they do - my mum's side of the family are all quite large ladies (I am sure she wont mind me saying so) my mum has a chronic heart condition so cant do regular exercise, she eats 2 small meals a day including salad as dinner for example and is a size 32!
Both myself and my sister are inclined to err on the large side as well and with societie's tendancy to drive everywhere, eat fast food, sit down at a desk all day, watch adverts for chocolate etc etc (I am talking about my sister) Is harder than ever to control weight I believe, which can in some cases lead to this spiralling downward circle, of overeating for comfort because of self-loathing of body image...

Just some food for thought

[smallblueplanet]

I'm impressed by how many geneticists we have on GYO. Nice one Bramble_killer.

[Patchninja]

Going back to the original question about fat genes and do they exist..I would say they do - my mum's side of the family are all quite large ladies (I am sure she wont mind me saying so) my mum has a chronic heart condition so cant do regular exercise, she eats 2 small meals a day including salad as dinner for example and is a size 32!
Both myself and my sister are inclined to err on the large side as well and with societie's tendancy to drive everywhere, eat fast food, sit down at a desk all day, watch adverts for chocolate etc etc (I am talking about my sister) Is harder than ever to control weight I believe, which can in some cases lead to this spiralling downward circle, of overeating for comfort because of self-loathing of body image...

Just some food for thought

IMHO you've just answered your question. It's more a case of too little activity and too much food.
It's so difficult to avoid in England. Each time I go back and visit a supermarket, I'm always gobsmacked by the sheer quantity of food - by that I mean stuff that's pretty well ready to eat or totally ready to eat. There's too much temptation and people think it's normal to buy crisps, biscuits, chocolate,desserts, ready-made sandwiches, pork pies etc. It isn't or it didn't used to be! Certain things were deemed to be treats but when you glance into people's trollies, so much rubbish has become the norm.
Here, the temptation just isn't on the same scale so I really do feel for people who are struggling.

[OverWyreGrower]

IMHO you've just answered your question. It's more a case of too little activity and too much food.
It's so difficult to avoid in England. Each time I go back and visit a supermarket, I'm always gobsmacked by the sheer quantity of food - by that I mean stuff that's pretty well ready to eat or totally ready to eat. There's too much temptation and people think it's normal to buy crisps, biscuits, chocolate,desserts, ready-made sandwiches, pork pies etc. It isn't or it didn't used to be! Certain things were deemed to be treats but when you glance into people's trollies, so much rubbish has become the norm.
Here, the temptation just isn't on the same scale so I really do feel for people who are struggling.

I'm always amazed by the families that have nothing but already-cooked/eat out of a bag/frozen type stuff in their trollies (along with a billion pints of milk and loaves of brea).
Not a sniff of anything vaguely fresh (meat, veg, fruit etc).... I couldn't imagine making every single meal from something already cooked and then chilled or frozen!

[lindyloo]

lots of thought's on this; i'm not sure whether i beleive there is a fat gene, but i do think there are different body types and build, and some of them are more predisposed than others, to store fat, and others are more disposed towards burning fat. the trick is knowing what works for your type, and eat accordingly. i also think other factors contribute; i know that when i am happy and content, i have a tendancy to gain weight, under severe stress, i burn the weight off.

as i get older, i have gained weight, and it is harder to shift it. i do think that some of it is down to changes in metabolism, but it is also due to being more relaxed and at ease with myself. i dont have a burning desire to fit into a size ten jeans by friday night anymore, so there is not the urgency to stick to a diet, that there once was. as i now have a more pyshically demanding lifestyle, i eat more filling food , i tend to be happy with my life, and feel i am happy as i am- and can still tie my shoelaces with out winding myself! ( sorry- just a joke) so , i do believe that excess weight is to an extent, a state of mind- it is what you are happy with, and your body adjusts to what your mind is telling it, and manifests accordingly.

portion size i think does play a large part- i recently saw a program on tv about overweight children; it was so sad, as the mothers were sure they were feeding the kids healthy food, but they were giving them man sized portions, and often!

i have also seen a program- i think it was hugh fw convincing people to not eat cheap chicken, where a die hard, overweight, value chicken eater, was bemoaning the fact that she couldnt afford to buy a better life style of chicken, whilst her shopping trolley was loaded up with junk food, cakes biscuit and chocolate!!! i kept wanting to shout at her that she could give up 2 bars of chocolate, and afford a happier chicken!!! so i do think that lifestyle choices impacts on our weight. ie what we put in to our bodies, shows on the outside, as well as on the inside ( body and soul)

i also think that food combinations can work against us, but cant think offhand of the combinations! as a lapsed alternative therapist, i should know this!!! someone put me straight please!

unfortuneately, the more excess weight that we carry , the harder it is to shift it, due to the fact that our stomach becomes larger, meaning we dont feel full, and also, because the heavier the burden we place on our body, by extra weight , the less we are able to pyschically (spelling!?!) do, so the body automatically slows down, and , if we arent happy with our weight, we then blame it for other things, which can then lead to comfort eating, and so it goes; we get into a cycle of weight gain.

i think emotion has a huge impact on weight, and i do believe that we cushion ourselves against the world with a weight gain- i dont think we are even aware of it, but pshycologically we are trying to make ourselves appear bigger, so we are more capable of dealing with issues, not get pushed around, define our personal space against invasion ,etc ( all metapysically speaking)


i do think that we as people, are a lot more sedentary than we were 40 years ago, so that is a contributor to larger people.

so i think, i have to say, i dont really believe in a fat gene as such; i do think that there are factors which can pre-determine that a person is likely to have a problem with excess fat; lifestyle, build, environment, and upbringing/ habits learnt through existing family traditions.

i do think, if we are not happy with our weight, that we have to take some responsibility for the excess, and do the best we can to have a weight we are happy with, and we have to make the best of what we have to work with; age, disease, ( dis+ease- which breaks down as dis= not, as in not at ease) ie. the body is not at ease with itself- so which comes first- the disease, or the factor which caused the body to feel a dis-ease with itself, and manifest symptoms?) body type and metabolism type, can all be controlled and worked with to an extent, so the real issue is whether we are happy and comfortable with our bodies, and what we are willing and able to do about it- somewhere in the middle, is a comfort zone where each of us fits. .

[northepaul]

Can I add though to my original remarks about fat gene and my Mum's family being large, even with exercise and good diet (yes we do eat fresh veg and dont all eat ready meals or lounge in front of the TV all day).
My son is skinny as a rake, eats more than everyone else in the house, including sweets, fizzy stuff (costs me an arm and a leg when he's home) likes a drink of beer occasionally, does little to no real exercise...?? How do you explain that then eh?

[taff]

Can I add though to my original remarks about fat gene and my Mum's family being large, even with exercise and good diet (yes we do eat fresh veg and dont all eat ready meals or lounge in front of the TV all day).
My son is skinny as a rake, eats more than everyone else in the house, including sweets, fizzy stuff (costs me an arm and a leg when he's home) likes a drink of beer occasionally, does little to no real exercise...?? How do you explain that then eh?

men have a higher metabolism and more muscle to burn energy. Wait till he's 40

[Patchninja]

I agree - it's because he's young. I bet it catches up on him. When I was 24 and had 2children, I weighed 6.5 stone. I spent my life running about, children, work..... now I'm 51, you can do the maths, no more children at home..... no longer weigh 6.5 stone!

Lindyloo, I suspect you're having the same, erm, weight issues as me

[lindyloo]

oh, me too, in my 20's, i used to go easily for 3 days without eating, and i felt just buzzing with energy. i could live on yoghurt and fruit, and a pot noodle ( healthy food, what?!!) would fill me up. now, at 57, i need to eat for energy, just to keep going through the day, but i dont feel i have a weight problem, i am fairly happy with my weight, as i am active and can comfortably do everything i want to do. think i might lose a stone and be happier, mind. plus, at my age food is one of the few pleasures i can enjoy without feeling too guilty, or suffer for the next day, and it has a big bonus, it plumps up the wrinkles!!!

[Alison]

men have a higher metabolism and more muscle to burn energy. Wait till he's 40

Age doesn't effect men the same as it can for women and obviously they don't have kids which can make a huge difference. My brother is now 50 and whilst no longer underweight (as he has been for a considerable amount of his life) is still on the lower side of normal. Wouldn't call him healthy though, serious lack of veggie intake just not excessive overall calories.