Is Obesity in Your Genes?
Health Story

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, June 24 and August 12, 2007
Show 413

"I'm struggling. I've been working out, eating right and nothing's happening," says Carol Williams. Sound familiar? About a third of American adults are obese and millions more are overweight, and many struggle to lose weight. Dr. Caroline Apovian says,

"We used to think that if you gained weight and you were an obese person, that somehow you didn't have will power and it was your fault. And now we're realizing that obesity is a disease just like diabetes, just like high blood pressure and it's not your fault." Recent findings now point to an obesity gene.

Dr. Michael Christman says, "We think what's happening is that there can be an interaction between the genes and the environment. So, years ago when there was no excessive food, it didn't matter. In today's environment, if you have a gene that might, say, help you metabolize fat a little better, store fat more readily, you may become obese."