Feeding the beast

We are living in an environment with easy access to cheap, tasty food; but we’re not all obese. Why? The most important reason why only some people are obese is our genes. ‘Obesity genes’ make some individuals more likely to overeat in response to temptations offered by food environment. Obesity results from a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure: genes load the gun, the environment pulls the trigger. This raises philosophical and political questions. Are genes destiny? If obesity is genetic, whose ‘fault’ is it?

The weight normative paradigm within nutritional sciences places emphasis on weight loss when defining health and well-being. However, advocates of the weight inclusive paradigm, where the is emphasis on viewing health and well-being as multifaceted while directing efforts toward improving health access and reducing weight stigma, argue their approach is superior for improving physical and psychological indices. Here we will examine the data for these claims and give tips to implement healthy behaviors independent of weight loss.