The “Master Switch” For Obesity May Not Be a Gene, But Something Much More Ethereal
I am writing this health article for you to consider, but it may be more filled with opinion than is healthy! I just read about a study published in the journal Nature Genetics about British researchers who believe that they’ve found the “master switch” gene for obesity. Fat, they say, plays an important role in peoples’ susceptibility to metabolic diseases like obesity. Hm-mm, you think “fat” has something to do with obesity? That’s like saying that “rain” has something to do with flooding! Yes, I know that obese individuals are susceptible as well to debilitating conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, and that regulating the master switch gene could help develop drugs to treat such illnesses, so such a discovery is significant for all sorts of social and financial (US obesity-related diseases already account for nearly 10 percent of medical spending, i.e., nearly $147 billion a year) reasons. Obesity statistics are shocking, indeed, with more than half a billion people (one in 10 adults worldwide) who are obese.
My question is that since the above numbers have doubled since the 1980s, and the obesity epidemic has spread, like cellulite, from wealthy nations into poorer countries, is there truly a “master switch” gene that needs to be adjusted or do we, as human beings need something more fulfilling to do with our lives than EAT? Eating nutritious foods in moderate amounts is obviously healthy. And, eating with family and friends can be an enriching experience. But, pouring junk into the body until it bursts at the seams and spreads to other countries is more of a problem with a “master switch” in the human mind that needs to be turned “on,” no medication required!