3. What do people usually think when someone says that they are overweight because of genetics? There is usually the shaking of the head and rolling of the eyes exhibited by the listener. But wait. According to scientists from three major Universities in the UK, a variant of a gene known as the Fatso gene, or more kindly referred to as the FTO gene, could be responsible for some people having a predisposition to obesity and related problems such as diabetes. The gene was first discovered in certain chubby mice, when scientist were searching for markers that signaled increased vulnerability to type 2 diabetes. The FTO gene showed up there too. The study found that people carrying one copy of the FTO gene have a 30% increased risk of being obese compared to a person with no copies. However, a person carrying two copies of the gene has a 70% increased risk of being obese. So how much actual weight could these genes be responsible for? In the UK study, the estimated average increase was only about 7 pounds for a person with two copies compared to a similar person with no copies. (more…)

4. A researcher at the University of Florida posed the question during studies concerning nerve damage caused by early childhood ear infections. Derek Snyder wondered if  repeated or severe an ear infection, which can damage a taste nerve running through the middle ear, could  cause people to tasted food less intensely than others who had not suffered the damage, thus leading to childhood obesity and obese adults.

After tabulating 6584 questionnaires, the team discovered that respondents over 35 who had suffered several ear infections had almost double the chance of being obese.

After responding to additional questions, it was found that patients who had suffered  repeated ear infections as a child were a little more likely to crave sweets and fatty foods – perhaps because the damaged nerve caused them to have a higher threshold for sensing sweetness and fattiness.

 In another study, preschoolers with a history of frequent ear infections were found to eat fewer vegetables and more sweets than children who did not have frequent ear infections. They also tended to be heavier. (more…)

5. The age old question of what came first the chicken or the egg also seem to apply to stress and weight gain.  When examining the relationship between childhood obesity and stress, the question is whether the weight gain causes stress or the stress causes the weight gain.  While there may not be a clear answer as to which is responsible for the other, it does seem to be cyclical with both factors compounding each other.

While the stresses of life are usually assigned to adults, ( finances, work, relationships, etc.) children and teens certainly have their share of “the blues”( who likes who, am I wearing the right clothes, am I one of the cool kids).  Recent research from Iowa State University has identified stress factors in adolescents that appear to have a direct relationship to obesity.  Such things as having poor grades, mental health problems, more aggressive behavior, or doing more drugs and alcohol all lead to a child being more likely to have weight related issues. 

Everyone with a television has probably seen the commercials connecting the stress hormone Cortisol and weight gain.  Cortisol is a steroid hormone that helps the body respond to stress but also has other functions, including converting fat, protein and carbohydrates into energy. Stress hormones also ramp up fat storage.  In ancient times of possible feast or famine or attack by a saber tooth tiger, this storage of extra energy could be a good thing.  In most countries today, stress is handled sitting down and the excess calories go un-used.  Normally, levels of this hormone peak in the morning and slowly decrease to a low point in the evening.  However, Cortisol levels in stressed individuals were slightly elevated in the evening as well.  To make matters worse, stress hormones trigger cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods that seem to calm the stress hormones.  One study showed that when researchers withheld high carb foods from stressed mice, their stress hormones spiked.  And the cycle continues. (more…)

6.  An interesting question posed by nutrition expert Stephen Levine. Phd. was:

“Have you ever eaten something – a bowl of ice cream, a piece of cheese, an orange – and felt hungrier than before? Do you have urges for a particular food and find it hard to satisfy your craving unless you eat that particular food?

If the answer is “yes” to either of these questions, then you have a food allergy. If you are also fat, then chances are your food allergy is making you fat.”

 Much like a drug addict experiencing withdrawal symptoms when access to their drug is withheld, some people experience un-natural cravings for certain foods to which they are actually allergic.  Whether they understand why or not, obese people can testify to the overwhelming draw that certain foods have in their lives.  Compulsive eaters crave and continue to eat those allergenic foods to which they are addicted day after day. The obese person has no idea that what his body is doing is actually attempting to prevent withdrawal symptoms that would likely occur if that food or foods were not consumed. (more…)