Is obesity hereditary?

It is important to note that obesity, especially simple obesity, has a strong genetic tendency. Among all obese patients, about 40% to 80% become obese due to genetics, which shows how close the relationship between obesity and genetics is. Some people become obese because their father or mother is obese, while others have parents who are not obese, but many of their parents’ brothers and grandparents are fat, so they also become obese.

Genetic factors have many impacts on obesity, which are mainly manifested in the following aspects: Genetic factors affect body mass index, subcutaneous fat thickness and visceral fat tissue, and the impact on visceral fat is particularly significant. Genetics not only affects the degree of obesity, but also the type of fat distribution. Overfeeding responsiveness, i.e., sensitivity to weight gain after overfeeding, is genetically determined.

Genetics affects an individual's basal metabolic rate, the thermal effect of food and the thermal effect of exercise. That is, energy expenditure is affected by genetic factors, and the difference in energy expenditure between individuals can reach more than 40%. The proportion of protein, carbohydrates and fat people consume may be influenced by genetics. The amount of physical activity is also significantly influenced by genetics.

"It turns out that I am so fat because of my parents." If you have this idea, you are totally wrong, because you cannot attribute all the reasons for obesity to genetics. Among 70% to 80% of obese people, one-third is due to genetics, and the rest is caused by consuming large amounts of obesity-inducing foods or exercising too little.

The above introduces obesity caused by genetics, as well as some obesity caused by acquired factors. One point must be emphasized here. Regardless of whether it is due to congenital reasons or acquired factors, if a person does not like to exercise, eats a lot every day, and always stays at home, then even if there are no fat people in his parents or grandparents, he may become obese due to lack of exercise.