The BBC has turned up a story about the Fat Gene, based on a study from Cell Metabolism Journal. The information has been drawn from studies of fruit flies, worms, and mice. While none of those have human genetics, it does cross enough species that the researchers may have turned up something. While the discovery of adipose is key in eliminating the advent of Type II diabetes, it would probably be a generation or so before it had any impact on our culture.
Diabetes is a serious, serious issue; I don’t quibble with anything that will help resolve and eliminate it. But I do think that the connection between obesity and diabetes is less extensive than advertised. While certainly sudden weight gain is a symptom of diabetes, it isn’t necessarily the cause. Still, it’s important to eat properly – if not to avoid diabetes, than simply to keep all your organs happy. Because right now, whether or not our sizes are genetic, are bodies are still here for us to take care of well, and it’s going to be awhile before we can negotiate with the adipose available to us into making us the size we deem ideal for ourselves.
