cure Obesity through genetics?

[SagaLore]

There are a lot of studies showing that a lot of people have hard time losing weight because they inherited genes that were vital to their ancestors during famine. There are other studies that have isolated more efficient metabolisms through different types of fat cells, etc.

So my question is this - in a society where food is plenty, and physical activity is a commodity, while obesity is linked to cancers, diabetes, and other diseases - would you be for using a retrovirus or some kind of nanotech to stop people from getting fat past a point?

Keep in mind, that this would only alter the gene for the host - it would not be transferred down into kids. So another worldwide famine would not eradicate the human species...

 

[halik]

I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Here's a shocker - if your daily energy intake is more than your energy energy expenditure, you will get fat. If you make that inequality part of your lifestyle, you'll end up obese regardless of genetics.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: halik
I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Its a contributor. I know plenty of people that barely consume 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, and still get or remain obese.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: halik
I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Its a contributor. I know plenty of people that barely consume 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, and still get or remain obese.

Well unless they fall into the category of 0 people that can violate the law of conservation of energy, what you wrote is impossible.

 

[Babbles]

I think you can start down a very scary road when you propose flipping genes on and off.

 

[takeru]

its a contributor yes, but its not a dominant factor. and its going into the realm of "designer babies" with that. mind as well make the babies have enhanced muscle capacity and brain power too.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: halik
I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Its a contributor. I know plenty of people that barely consume 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, and still get or remain obese.

Well unless they fall into the category of 0 people that can violate the law of conservation of energy, what you wrote is impossible.

Barely 1200 calories, but is it all preservatives, or is it actually healthy. Do they go to a restaurant and order a 1200 calorie salad? What is exercising? I see plenty of people at the gym who have quite easy "workouts." People with the genetics might have to work harder, but the fat making function in their bodies isn't like perpetual motion, it has to come from what goes in the mouth.

 

[Born2bwire]

People need to do two very simple steps.

1. Stop cramming everything in sight into that gaping maw that you call a mouth.
2. Get up and exert yourself under your own locomotion.

 

[mcmilljb]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: halik
I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Its a contributor. I know plenty of people that barely consume 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, and still get or remain obese.

If their body doesn't consume enough in calories, their metabolism can slow down which cancels out the low calorie intake.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: halik
I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Its a contributor. I know plenty of people that barely consume 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, and still get or remain obese.

Not possible unless you mean 'exercise' like these fat young house wives with their watter bottles walking and chatting that I blast past on my 4 mile run each day.

I wish I could exercise like that, much less pain, but then I'd be fat too.

 

[frostedflakes]

I don't really see the problem. I'm actually very fascinated by transhumanism.

Definitely a lot of ethical issues surrounding genetic modification, though.

 

[summit]

how do you turn off this gene? do you introduce a virus to cut/paste dna? genetic mutations are a bitch.

 

[Brainonska511]

As my endocrinology professor put it, you can be predisposed to gaining fat more readily than others because of your genes, but *most* people will not be fat solely due to genetics. To have that problem, you'd have to have a ton of bad genes. To keep healthy, it's all about having self control, exercising a little, and eating a balanced diet.

Plus, I don't feel like we know enough about the human genome to start tweaking individual things. Changing one protein level in cells can have huge consequences for other cellular systems and cause more problems than you think it will solve. Plus, some proteins might play multiple roles, thus making it extremely difficult to genetically engineer some bad genes out.

Finally, genetic diversity is the key to the propogation of the human race. Without genetic diversity, we could end up like bananas of the 60s, when a fungus killed off tons of bananas...

As far as future genetic engineering, it would have to be on a case by case basis and only for people that are not just predisposed to becoming fat but to those that will no matter what they do (such as lacking the leptin gene (so always hungry) or lacking some other factor, like some element that prevents the break-down of triglycerides in adipose tissue (so they can only build up...).

 

[nismotigerwvu]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: halik
I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Its a contributor. I know plenty of people that barely consume 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, and still get or remain obese.

I hate to break it to you, but either you know liars or you know someone with a severe enough imbalance in their endocrinology that their life is very much in question. However, if someone's thyroid that was that suppressed they simply wouldn't have the energy to exercise and would immediately outstrip oxygen supplies in muscle tissues. It would hurt far too much to move really. So, it is safe to say that they are not telling you every last bit of information about what they are eating.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: halik
I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Its a contributor. I know plenty of people that barely consume 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, and still get or remain obese.

If their body doesn't consume enough in calories, their metabolism can slow down which cancels out the low calorie intake.

And low calorie intake can lead to your body entering a famine state, where it will try to minimize energy usage and conserve fat tissue for the long haul.

 

[Zebo]

Tell your friends to get a HRM and stay in zone 4 or 5 on chart for 45 minutes a day, everyday! I guarantee you they could eat what they wanted and be slim. I've been 300 lbs. stop making excuses for these people you're not doing them any favors.

 

[mcmilljb]

Also this won't stop obesity - link

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
I don't really see the problem. I'm actually very fascinated by transhumanism.

Definitely a lot of ethical issues surrounding genetic modification, though.

Ethics are irrelevant. Resistance is futile.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: halik
I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Its a contributor. I know plenty of people that barely consume 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, and still get or remain obese.

Well unless they fall into the category of 0 people that can violate the law of conservation of energy, what you wrote is impossible.

You are assuming that everybody converts chemical energy at 100% efficiency.

 

[Ruptga]

Originally posted by: Babbles
I think you start down a very exciting road when you propose flipping genes on and off.

fix'd

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
would you be for using a retrovirus or some kind of nanotech to stop people from getting fat past a point?

I am legend comes to mind for some reason.

Nope.

 

[takeru]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO

Originally posted by: SagaLore
would you be for using a retrovirus or some kind of nanotech to stop people from getting fat past a point?

I am legend comes to mind for some reason.

Nope.

would be interesting if it was mixed up and caused the opposite to happen, people will stop getting skinny at a certain point, and accelerate in fatness.

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: halik
I forgot that obesity was due to genetics, not calories in / calories out...

Its a contributor. I know plenty of people that barely consume 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, and still get or remain obese.

Well unless they fall into the category of 0 people that can violate the law of conservation of energy, what you wrote is impossible.

You are assuming that everybody converts chemical energy at 100% efficiency.

Even better, then they would have to take in more than X calories to achieve X calories of kinetic energy. If you are eating what is about half of the standard daily caloric intake and are still gaining weight then you gotta be doing pretty much nothing but sitting around. 1200 Calories is around 5.5 ounces of fat, 1200 calories is 5.5 milliounces of fat.