image via dullhunk on flickr

Tell me why, oh why, are my genetics such a bitch?

– Shiloh from Repo: The Genetic Opera

The 1997 movie GATTACA portrayed an ugly future where people were pigeon-holed in society based upon their genetic make up. In order to live up to his life-long dream of being an astronaut, Ethan Hawke’s character in the movie had to assume the genetic identity of another man (played by Jude Law) who did not suffer from the same genetic impurities that Hawke did. Hawke was considered to be an ‘in-valid’ – someone who would never succeed in life because his genes would prevent him from doing so.

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but if you understand Hollywood at all, you can probably assume that one of the central themes in the story is that our genetic make-up does not necessarily have to determine our fate. Yes, you might be born with some kind of flaw in your DNA that makes you more likely to suffer from heart disease, but that doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to.

The same rule applies to obesity.  Scientists have determined that the presence of variants in the FTO gene (commonly referred to as the “Fatso” gene) can pre-dispose an individual towards obesity. This mutation is present in approximately one out of six people. During the same study those scientists observed that teenagers who had this variant in their system but exercised an hour a day kept their weight in the “acceptable” range.

In other words – while certain individuals may indeed be genetically pre-disposed towards obesity, they are not ipso facto destined to be overweight. Our genes may be a factor in our overall health and fitness levels, but they are not the only factor; and they are certainly not a reason to give up the fight.