You Are What You Eat
Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites
Are we really what we eat? Well, we are - to a certain degree.
There are a lot of things in the Weight Equation than we have little control over - such as genetics. We can't do much about how tall we are, or what ethnic background we came from. Much of what we weigh hinges around genetics.
If an individual has a plump parent and a thin parent, they may have no problems at all along Life's Pathway in controlling their weight because they may have inherited the thin parent's genes.
Overweight Parents Pass Along Overweight Genes
If both parents are plump, it's generally an uphill climb for the offspring to maintain a desirable weight. But not impossible!
Both of my parents were on the plump side. My father's parents were both fairly overweight and my mom's mother was overweight - but her father was razor thin. So was my mom until she reached forty and then her weight kept climbing and climbing to over 200 pounds.
At one point in his life, my dad reached almost 300 pounds - and he was about 5' 10" - not an overly tall person. My mother was about 5'6". Both of my dad's parents succumbed to diabetes - and so did my dad.
And while I was pregnant, I suffered from gestational diabetes - which more often than not develops into full-blown diabetes later in life. So I'm very thankful that I had the self-motivation and dedication to lose all of those extra pounds.
Even so, there is no guarantee that I won't eventually get diabetes; but my risks of getting such have been greatly reduced due to weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight along with a healthy daily diet, and a dose of moderate activity.
More Difficult for Those to Maintain Healthy Weight When They Have Two Overweight Parents
From experience, I must say that it's been very difficult for me to maintain a healthy weight.
In my Olden Fat Days, gaining weight was ultra easy - and I used to have no problem putting on several pounds during short periods of time when I went on my eating binges.
The important point is that even though genetics plays a big role in what a person weighs, they can still have overweight parents and be thin.
Is it always an uphill climb? No. But for most individuals who have two overweight parents, it is.
When we glance at the parents, and when both are overweight, generally, the kids are too. And it's a hard thing to overcome - because the kid not only has genetics against them, they also don't have a good pattern for healthy eating that's been presented for them. So it's difficult BUT NOT impossible!
In Summary
Incorporating a healthy diet and exercise can go a long way to promote a healthy body, even in individuals whose genetic makeup isn't the most desirable.
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