The whole idea of "body types." Irrelevant?

I wouldn't be so quick to judge. There are a lot of factors at play here, and are, like most things, a combination of genetics and the environment. Regardless, genetics seems to be in a more dominant role than we previously expected. The brain has a hunger center in the hypothalamus which responds to a protein called Leptin, among other satiety hormones. Leptin itself, its receptors, expression of these receptors, and the entire biochemical cascade which follows its binding, are under genetic variation and have been shown to play a significant role in body weight and eating habits.

Many new hormones with similar interactions and targets are coming to light, such as adiponectin, npy hormones, incretins, etc etc. An interesting article in the NY times a few years ago cited a study which investigated the macroscopic effects of this. The study allowed prisoners to eat whenever, and however much, of what they wanted, bar none. What they found was that people's eating changed their metabolism to expend extra calories and accommodate for the extra energy they were taking in. An other study showed that obese people on diets produced the exact same biomarkers as people who were starving to death, despite being overweight. Not so for control groups here.

Once the science is over, you have to wonder about blame. Obesity is a disease, and its prevalence is out of control in america right now. I would argue, like most people who know anything about the subject, if it is a disease it is one of society rather than one of individuals.

Yes, people have body types.

Yes, sometimes genetics leads to obesity.

Look at the Pima Indians or any of a number of Polynesian societies if you need some evidence.

Obesity is a mental problem, not some genetic disease.

Show me the fat person that eats fruits and veggies and lean meats (not drenched in Jack Daniel's BBQ sauce) all day long. I don't care who you are, eat that way and NO ONE could become fat.

I get a good laugh when obese people claim they "dont eat much". Yeah, I would agree. They don't eat much, but it's always crap. Then they get hungry right away because they didn't ingest any nutrients!

Yeah sure some people might get obese quicker than others due to genetics, but claiming that people are obese BECAUSE of genetics and using that as an excuse is a load of BS.

Yes, there are different body types. The problem is that most people do not know how to cater their diet/exercise to their specific body type.

i lived in a community once for about a year. we all worked, ate and lived together.

the folks that were thin exercised and ate reasonable portions. the fatter people ate much more food, including deserts.

not a scientific study, but it was fairly convincing to me.

You are trying to relate body type with obesity in a way that doesn't make sense. You are basically saying that if people aren't fat because of body type, different body types don't exist. I don't see the logic here.

Different body types clearly exist. This is true even if body type does not have any impact at all on obesity.

Who ever thinks that people become obese purely from genetics is an idiot. Obviously some people are born with faster or slower metabolisms, but even a person with a terrible metabolism can maintain a respectable body weight with proper diet and exercise. Let's be honest for a minute, how many fat or obese people do you know that work out on a regular basis? Probably none

I saw this great TV program a while back in high school about a guy who cycled and swam every day and ate healthy 24/7 but was still obese. It was crazy. he cycled fast too, looked great doing it. he had a genetic thing going on. ill really try to find this and post a link.

I dont think anybody believes that obesity is purely genetic. I wish more people would quote science instead of their own stupid opinions which have little basis or merit.

This is SSOOOOOO true. Everyone should just increase their stride length. Nobody should be unable to break 14:00 at 5000 and most of us should be breaking 12:00.

I don't know why this isn't obvious to everyone.

there are different body types & obesity is largely due to lifestyle. but these are separate questions.

-Are there different body types?

vs.

-Is obesity genetic or the result of lifestyle choices?

Re. Different body types: Endomorph, Ectomorph, and Mesomorph have been identified as distinct body types. (endo: thin, ecto: more curvy, muscular, Meso: larger, stout).

In college I knew of a few female runers who would go in to the gym a few weeks and come out ripped. They would also gain weight rapidly in the off-season and didn't seem to eat more or worse than other people.

simultaneously, there were many of us skinny XC runners that couldn't gain muscle no matter what & it wasn't about eating habits or workouts being different b/c we all had the same plan.

some women are genetically predisposed to wide hips regardless of lifestyle choices. some store fat on the thighs; others tend to store fat around the mid-section; others the butt. While, the amount of fat stored (skinny vs. obese) varies based on lifestyle choices, the areas in which fat it is stored is generally thought to be predetermined.

I do think obesity is for the most part lifestyle-related, with a few rare exceptions (where there is actually a biological root). Obesity is a cultural "epidemic" not just more and more people with "bad genes." Still, genetics plays at least a small role.

You also have to look at the words "lifestyle choices." A lot of people on this board are skinny runners who can't imagine being piggish enough to keep chowing down when you're already fat.

Okay, genetics plays a part in metabolism, but that just means if you have a slower metabolism, eat less, and if you have a faster metabolism, eat more. The people who have a slower metabolism who are fat are just slobs who don't have any self control. They are making poor "lifestyle choices."

That perception is neglecting an entirely separate role genetics plays in weight, and that's your brain telling your body whether you're full or hungry. Most people eat when they get hungry and stop when they're full. Well some people's "hungry" switch turns on earlier, and their "full" switch turns off later. You know how it is when you're so hungry but forgot to bring a lunch/whatever? How hunger can hurt? Well what if you felt that hunger unless you ate 1000 calories a day more than what you needed.

My point is that genetics have a lot more to do with it than just metabolism. Foot is a lot about signals between the brain and the stomach, and that's very complicated.

That said, there are a lot of lazy people out there who are fat and could definitely lose weight if they weren't lazy. But there are also larger (not fat) and fat people who could be eating either the same thing you are, or according to the same brain signals to which you eat, and end up much fatter than you. So it's a mix, and you shouldn't paint all fat people with one brush.

Funny. All you skinny distance guys out there who are past your running prime and want to bulk up. It's easy to get ripped. It just takes hard work and dedication at the gym, and a protein shake here and there. If that's not working for you, you must be lazy. You're not going to the gym enough or not lifting enough weight. That's a lifestyle choice, not a problem. (See how crazy this sounds, from the other side? Some of you want to bulk up, but will never get there even if you do the exact same work as the next guy, who did.)

Anything, including obesity, can result form genetics. The vast majority of obesity is caused by lifestyle, but there ARE exceptions.

Endo: CurvyEcto: ThinMeso: MuscularYou got a bit mixed up.

"The people who have a slower metabolism who are fat are just slobs who don't have any self control."

-- You can infer that, but that's not at all what I said. That's a judgment, and that's your personal statement, not mine.

"So it's a mix, and you shouldn't paint all fat people with one brush."

-- I don't.

To say that people make certain lifestyle choices that determine weight (to a certain degree) is indesputable.

To say people who are fat are "lazy" is overly-simplistic, so I don't say that, nor do I believe it. I would not call the single mom I know (who works full-time and then takes care of 3 kids) "lazy" simply because she never exercises.

I have read about hunger mechanisms that are pre-determined, so that definitely accounts for differences in weight as does metabolism.

But, looking at the big picture and rising obesity rates, it is hard to argue that that is all genetics.

We have evolved into a more sedentary society, where most of us work desk jobs with few physical requirements. No one works a 40 hour week anymore, so it is easy to feel drained and to come home from work with other obligations (family, childcare, etc) that make exercise impractical and/or very challenging.

Poor people have the highest obesity rates, and, at least in part, this might be because it is harder for them to eat healthy. As an example, there are parts of the country where people do not have access to vegetables, but do have fast-food nearby, and without a car or mass-transit, people can go into adulthood never having tasted a vegetable. Vegetables are generally nutrient dense and low-calorie, so eating adequate vegetables (not in french fry form) can help prevent weight gain.

Point being, certain lifestyles lead to or exacerbate obesity. And, that is not blaming individuals, but it is stating a reality. I also do not blame our country's rising obesity rates on genetics and faulty hunger mechanisms. Do you?

I wasn't replying just to you. And I didn't mean to imply you said that. But I hold fast that it is the prevailing attitude of many people on this board, based on more threads that just this one.

And I wasn't saying it was just genetics either. I clearly said some laziness plays into it. I pretty much agree with your assessment.

Like someone said above, it's a combination of nature and nurture and I think in our exercise-less society sometimes nature (genetics) amplifies nurture (a lack of exercise/movement or eating to much).

Obviously there are different body types and bodies that handle caloric intake differently.

BUT I do agree with you at a point. If you put some people that are fat in a concentration camp, they would cease to be obese.

What if the heavies switched to midfoot or forefoot striking (as opposed to heel striking)?

Genetics clearly play a role in obesity. But, genetics don't change as fast as the increase in obesity has in the past 10-20 years. So, the cause of the increase has to be environmental.

If a fat man and a fat woman have a child together, the child will have a good chance of being fat also. Even if not raised by biological parent.

Of course there are body types. Do you not have eyes?