:( always.

[Smashly23]

I personally believe that obesity doesn't have 2 "run in the family". That's wat Ive always grown up hearin. Im the skinniest 1 out of all my family n Im still not satisfied. Ive always been scared 2 get fat! My 13 & 15 yr old bros are borderline diabetics both between 200-215lbs. My mom is 37yo n is 5'10 at about 230-250lbs. My father is 6'3 at 300. They r visually fat its not like they r big boned n thick..they r fat! they don't eat good n don't care 2 try. I've always been so self concious of my weight. I remember being 6 or 7 y/o thinking if my thighs ever touch when I sit down that's when I need to lose weight!! When I got to high school I was torn when I gained weight..I didn't look fat. I had big hips n large thighs. My stomach was flat. But no matter how good I ate or how much I tried I couldn't lose weight. As a senior I was 120-130lbs at 5'5 at age 17-18. Now I'm 21, 5'5, and 194lbs at 32 weeks pregnant with my third child. I got pregnant at 18 with my first son..started at 140lbs at 6 months pregnant I was 115lbs and after birth I was 135. I got pregnant with my second son 5 months later. Started at 155lbs and after birth 203lbs. That killed me.. I never weighed so much in my life. I felt so bad all the time. I was determind to lose weight by the time my second son was 5 months old I weighed 138lbs! I ate better and I went to the gym several times a week. Well 9 months after I had him I found out I was pregnant again (this pregnancy..) after I lost all the weight I went through a stage where I felt I lost it all n I needed a break so I gained most of it back (165lbs)..I lost my motivation and self confidence..then right after I started working out again n trying to do better I was prego again when I went to the doctor I was 176lbs at my first ob appointment.  :( how can I keep my motivation and keep my weight off!?

[Vera Ingrid Tarman, MD]

Hi

You have raised an interesting question. Is Obesity genetic? Is there anything you can do about your difficulty loosing weight?

1) We now believe that obesity is genetic to some degree. Some families do have a predisposition to gaining more weight than others and also to needing to eat more in order to feel satisfied.

2) There are some people who become obese purely for hormonal reasons ie those who suffer from Willi-Prader syndrome. Doctors have thought this is a rare condition, but scientists are now thinking that many people who are obese may have a lesser variant of this condition. Even being pregnant predisposes some women to becoming obese. Also, the more obese a person becomes, the more hormones change to make the person want to eat more - and to gain more weight.

3) Some people have addiction in the family - ie people who are obese  (especially if they are food addicts) often have alcoholism or drug addiction in their family history.

You can see that obesity is very complex, and that none of it is the fault of the individual.

This does not mean that the person has no responsibility to change their lifestyle. All of these conditions can be managed, and the obese person has to be willing to make changes that other people may not have to do. We have found that removing sugar,  processed starchy foods and soda and adding vegetables and protein controls most of these conditions. The person who develops diabetes as well as becoming obese will likely benefit the most from these changes.

I suggest that you try this and if you find that you have difficulties, you may actually be a food addict. If so, please look at my website: addictionsunplugged.com.