Is maintaining a healthy weight tied to our diet or is there something more to it?!
Diet is not the sole factor for maintaining healthy weight but it is the one of the most important factors in maintaining healthy weight.
Obesity has been considered to be the direct result of a sedentary lifestyle plus chronic ingestion of excess calories. Although these factors are undoubtedly the principal cause in many cases, as much as 40–70% of obesity may be explained by genetic influences.
Twin studies demonstrate substantial genetic influences on BMI with little influence from the childhood environment. Five genes affecting control of appetite have been identified in mice. Mutations of each gene result in obesity, and each has a human homolog. One gene codes for a protein expressed by adipose tissue—leptin—and another for the leptin receptor in the brain. The other three genes affect brain pathways downstream from the leptin receptor. Numerous other candidate genes for human obesity have been identified. Only a small percentage (4–6%) of human obesity is thought to be due to single gene mutations. Most human obesity undoubtedly develops from the interactions of multiple genes, environmental factors, and behavior.
The rapid increase in obesity in the last several decades clearly points to a major role of environmental factors in the development of obesity.
Cross-sectional studies associate obesity with changes in gut flora. It is unknown whether altered gut flora contributes to the development of obesity or whether obesity changes the gut flora.
Most successful programs employ a multidisciplinary
approach to weight loss, with hypocaloric diets, behavior modification to change eating behavior, aerobic exercise, and social support