Morbidly Obese Mutants

Ahnimus

We all have our preconceptions about obese people and more particularily morbidly obese people. For a typical obese or overweight person with significant adiposity we can attribute it to lack of will power and sociocultural environment. Lack of exercise combined with poor diet.

However, what of the morbidly obese? Is it possible biology/genetics are responsible. In fact, it is.

Leptin is a hormone produced by adipose tissue (stored fat) that regulates the intake of food and the use of energy. Some people have Leptin resistances or Leptin defficiency which leads to increased food intake and decreased use of stored energy.

wikipedia.org wrote:

Leptin is a 16 kDa protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including the regulation of appetite and metabolism.

The effects of leptin were observed by studying mutant obese mice that arose at random within a mouse colony at the Jackson Laboratory in 1950. These mice were massively obese and hyperphagic. Leptin itself was discovered in 1994 by Jeffrey M. Friedman and team at the Rockefeller University through the study of those mutant mice. The Ob(Lep) gene (Ob for obese and Lep for leptin) is located on chromosome 7 in humans. Leptin is produced by adipose tissue and interacts with six types of receptor (LepRa–LepRf). LepRb is the only receptor isoform that contains active intracellular signaling domains. This receptor is present in a number of hypothalamic nuclei, where it exerts its effects. Importantly, leptin binds to the Ventral Medial nucleus of the hypothalamus, known as the "satiety center." Binding of leptin to this nucleus signals to the brain that the body has had enough to eat -- a sensation of satiety. A very small group of humans, mostly arising from inbred populations, are also mutant for the leptin gene. These people eat nearly constantly, and may be more than 100 pounds (45 kg) overweight by the age of 7.

You can watch Dr. Friedmen explain his findings in detail here

Additionally peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) regulate metabolics and can also contribute to obesity. PPAR-delta when injected into morbidly obese rats revs up their metabolism and they lose approximately 30% of their weight.

wikipedia.org wrote:

Hereditary disorders of all PPARs have been described, generally leading to a loss in function and concomitant lipodystrophy, insulin resistance and/or acanthosis nigricans. Of PPARγ, a gain-of-function mutation has been described and studied (Pro12Ala) which decreased the risk of insulin resistance; it is quite prevalent (allele frequency 0.03 - 0.12 in some populations). In contrast, pro115gln is associated with obesity. Some other polymorphisms have high incidence in populations with elevated body mass indexes.

These traits are caused by mutant recessive genese, which means that typically both parents would need to pass down the mutant gene. Thus why it's typical in inbred children.

Sheds some light on those "disgusting fat f**kers" doesn't it?

DOSW

It's always been known that uncontrollable factors can aid in obesity. I don't see what the news is.

Ahnimus

DOSW wrote:

It's always been known that uncontrollable factors can aid in obesity. I don't see what the news is.

It's known by those that have had the opportunity to know it.

There is a drug in testing to administer PPAR-delta, that's relatively new.

This research involving Leptin and PPAR-delta is from 2005. This research is less than 2 years old. I would be extremely suprised if everyone already knew this. They may have had an idea that genetics contributes, such as the body types Exomorph, Endomorph and Mesomorph, but this is referring to people that are morbidly obese, not people with those catagorical metabolisms.

EvilToasterElf

Whether its biological, or environmental, if you can get that big and look at yourself in the mirror and not seek help, you won't get my sympathy either.

gue_barium

I'm having sex with a rather ...um, she's taller, and heavier than i am. and she's a good lay. i don't know if this helps anyone. maybe it does.

harmless_little_f***

gue_barium wrote:

I'm having sex with a rather ...um, she's taller, and heavier than i am. and she's a good lay. i don't know if this helps anyone. maybe it does.

LOL

Byrnzie

gue_barium wrote:

I'm having sex with a rather ...um, she's taller, and heavier than i am. and she's a good lay. i don't know if this helps anyone. maybe it does.

Got any footage?

Ahnimus

EvilToasterElf wrote:

Whether its biological, or environmental, if you can get that big and look at yourself in the mirror and not seek help, you won't get my sympathy either.

Really? You aren't a very sympathetic person, are you?

Jammin909

gue_barium wrote:

I'm having sex with a rather ...um, she's taller, and heavier than i am. and she's a good lay. i don't know if this helps anyone. maybe it does.

Maybe she had a sex change?

Jammin909

EvilToasterElf wrote:

Whether its biological, or environmental, if you can get that big and look at yourself in the mirror and not seek help, you won't get my sympathy either.

I agree. It should not be acceptable to be fat. OK under some circumstances- not that is a rather short list. I think it's an epidemic.

wendy1976

EvilToasterElf wrote:

Whether its biological, or environmental, if you can get that big and look at yourself in the mirror and not seek help, you won't get my sympathy either.

What about people that seek help and it just does not....help??
I think people with weight problems(that have a problem with it themselfs)deserve sympathy...they struggle and a lot of them have wil power enough...it is their body that is not working along with that will power.
I have some friends that are overweight...i see what it costs them to loose and keep weight of.I have the opposit problem...i can eat all i want and not gain anything...you know howe many times people think i have a eating dissorder??Way to often i can tell you that.You would probably say so too....but from what i qouted you on i think not many people are waiting for your sympathy....sympathy only matters when it is given (or hurt's when not given) by a non shallow person....

know1

I don't believe it. Genetics may play a small factor, but if you don't eat, you won't get fat.

cornnifer

There may in fact be some uncontrollable biological factors to obesity. There is absolutely no denying, though, that our out of control, lazy, fast food culture is the number one cause of morbid obesity. We eat huge amounts of unhealthy food, and refuse to get off our fat asses. Then, when we wake up one morning and realize just how fat we are, we want a quick remedy to the problem and we seek out the latest, trendy diet craze. None of these diet crazes emphasize excercise! That is ridiculous. Burn more than you take in, and you will lose weight. Its very, very, simple.

soulsinging

cornnifer wrote:

There may in fact be some uncontrollable biological factors to obesity. There is absolutely no denying, though, that our out of control, lazy, fast food culture is the number one cause of morbid obesity. We eat huge amounts of unhealthy food, and refuse to get off our fat asses. Then, when we wake up one morning and realize just how fat we are, we want a quick remedy to the problem and we seek out the latest, trendy diet craze. None of these diet crazes emphasize excercise! That is ridiculous. Burn more than you take in, and you will lose weight. Its very, very, simple.

spot on and exactly what i was thinking.

NMyTree

cornnifer wrote:

There may in fact be some uncontrollable biological factors to obesity.

Most certainly there are. There's no question that there are specific biological conditions which contribute to an individual bloating up or gaining a larger amount of weight.

We also can't discount the psychological and emotional factors which in many individuals contributes to their over-eating and in their complete disregard and concern for their own health.

cornnifer wrote:

There is absolutely no denying, though, that our out of control, lazy, fast food culture is the number one cause of morbid obesity. We eat huge amounts of unhealthy food, and refuse to get off our fat asses. Then, when we wake up one morning and realize just how fat we are, we want a quick remedy to the problem and we seek out the latest, trendy diet craze. None of these diet crazes emphasize excercise! That is ridiculous. Burn more than you take in, and you will lose weight. Its very, very, simple..

I also believe this is very accurate. I also believe a good portion of over-weight or obese people fit right into the above description.

I believe it comes down to each individual. Every single person's situation is unique to themselves. You can't say any of this applies to all obese people.

I certainly have first hand experience ( my two close, over-weight friends) with people who simply consume an outrageous amount of bad food, are lazy and idle when it comes to excercise.

cornnifer wrote:

None of these diet crazes emphasize excercise! That is ridiculous. Burn more than you take in, and you will lose weight. Its very, very, simple..

Absolutely! It's sadly absurd how excercise is routinely and consistently ignored and excluded by those who "want to" lose weight and those selling easy solutions for losing weight.

The truth is, to lose weight in a healthy and efficient manner one has to increase activity (that means get your fat ass off the couch and shut off the television), severely reduce one's intake of saturated fats and bad carbs; while increasing good protein, poly and monounsaturated fats (and omega oils), veggies and fruits (organic preferably) and healthy grain.

Raising/increasing one's metabolism is essential to the body's ability to efficiently absorb, utilize and burn essential vitamins, minerals, elements and healthy fats.

Also, excluding and eliminating all hydronated vegetable oils (trans fats) from one's diet would be a great first step. That stuff is poison to the body. It clogs arteries, is extremely difficult for the body to burn off and it hangs around in your body as bad, unhealthy fat ........for a very long time.

The human body can't get rid of it.

angelica

It looks like the dynamics involved in eating disorders are not acknowledged much less understood by many. If anyone out there is a workaholic, has substance abuse issues (with drink/smoke/other), including sugar or caffeine addictions, is a rageaholic, shopaholic, and so on (detailing all manner of "acceptable" disorders in our society) I'd be wary of casting stones.

It also looks like the environmental contributing factors to eating disorders are also not being taken into consideration a whole lot in the main of things.

This doesn't surprise me.

What nauseates me is the "justified" social bias and ignorant judgments that are accepted in this day and age against those with eating disorders.

Jammin909

angelica wrote:

It looks like the dynamics involved in eating disorders are not acknowledged much less understood by many. If anyone out there is a workaholic, has substance abuse issues (with drink/smoke/other), including sugar or caffeine addictions, is a rageaholic, shopaholic, and so on (detailing all manner of "acceptable" disorders in our society) I'd be wary of casting stones.

It also looks like the environmental contributing factors to eating disorders are also not being taken into consideration a whole lot in the main of things.

This doesn't surprise me.

What nauseates me is the "justified" social bias and ignorant judgments that are accepted in this day and age against those with eating disorders.

The rest of the developed world does not produce the same size kids we have trotting around here. I dont think they all have special circumstances to blame for their obesity.

angelica

Jammin909 wrote:

The rest of the developed world does not produce the same size kids we have trotting around here. I dont think they all have special circumstances to blame for their obesity.

Is this assertion an informed opinion, or opinion only? Do you know what the dynamics of eating disorders are? Do you know how they tie in with North America or elsewhere or are you merely sharing a guess or subjective observation?

Jammin909

angelica wrote:

Is this assertion an informed opinion, or opinion only? Do you know what the dynamics of eating disorders are? Do you know how they tie in with North America or elsewhere or are you merely sharing a guess or subjective observation?

I am not familiar with the dynamics of eating disorders. However, I am well aware that some people have problems/illnesses that effect their weight. I just have a hard time believing that a majority of the fat people walking around have these problems that are out of their control (and at such a higher percentage than our European counterparts).

My "American kids are overweight and out of shape" comment is based only on what I see with my own two eyes. Objective observation.

redrock

cornnifer wrote:

There may in fact be some uncontrollable biological factors to obesity. There is absolutely no denying, though, that our out of control, lazy, fast food culture is the number one cause of morbid obesity. We eat huge amounts of unhealthy food, and refuse to get off our fat asses. Then, when we wake up one morning and realize just how fat we are, we want a quick remedy to the problem and we seek out the latest, trendy diet craze. None of these diet crazes emphasize excercise! That is ridiculous. Burn more than you take in, and you will lose weight. Its very, very, simple.

I agree with you there. Though I do believe that there are a number of obese people that do have a genetic disorder and, of course, there are those that have an eating disorder (psychological), it is true that in this society poor diet and poor eating habits contribute greatly to overweight children and adults.

I think it is a well know fact that the US lead the way with adult and child obesity. Unfortunately, Europe is starting to follow this trend but it would seem that in Europe the issue is tackled more seriously.

angelica

Jammin909 wrote:

I am not familiar with the dynamics of eating disorders. However, I am well aware that some people have problems/illnesses that effect their weight. I just have a hard time believing that a majority of the fat people walking around have these problems that are out of their control (and at such a higher percentage than our European counterparts).

My "American kids are overweight and out of shape" comment is based only on what I see with my own two eyes. Objective observation.

Thanks for clarifying.

My problem is with our judgments and our biased assumptions about these issues. Science, awareness and knowledge is about learning and understanding. You will not catch a responsible scientist whether geneticist, social scientist or a psychologicalist or what-have-you using emotionally charged words such as "lazy" in explaining what is known about these topics. Moral judgements such as "lazy", "wrong", "bad", etc. are about the biased emotional state of the person making such an assessment--it's about their emotional history, rather than being about knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. I don't think you personally made such judgment. However, if a person is operating in a non-healthy, imbalanced way, to "judge" them instead of seeking to understand cause and effect, is again about person bias and moral judgment.

I'm very familiar with the dynamics of compulsions, considering I've not only had but I've learned to overcome obsessive-compulsive disorder and all levels of the eating disorders: anorexic behaviour, bulemic behaviour and compulsive over-eating. There are very specific psychological reasons that cause such "defense mechanisms" to kick into action. The human system is immensely intelligent.