# According to Swedish research, you can be genetically predisposed to be fat. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 10, 2001, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652 "2001-09-10T12:51:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simetra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Simetra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simetra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/1 "2001-09-10T12:51:45Z")
Found [this article on Thin Genes](http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/1728.88438) on [MSN](http://www.msn.com) this morning: > [@](#): > > “The FOXC2 gene could be the natural defense against obesity,” says Enerbäck, whose study appears in this week’s edition of the journal Cell. > Previous studies, including some involving twins, have pointed to a genetic influence in weight gain. “It’s known that if you feed twins 1,000 extra calories per day, some will not increase body weight at all whereas some will convert the extra calories with 100% efficiency to triglycerides – fat,” Enerbäck tells WebMD. Thoughts? Input? Personally, I would like to see some more research here. Perhaps those individuals with significant health risks posed by their obesity can finally get a little more help than some miracle diet where all you eat is eggs and mayonaise… or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Simetra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Simetra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simetra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/2 "2001-09-10T12:52:49Z")
Damn it. Mods, I hate to bother you so early in the morning, but can you fix that link for me? ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/3 "2001-09-10T12:59:06Z")
Coming from a long line of generously padded women that has spent their lives watching their weight and spent most of their loves on diets, I’ve known that all along. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/4 "2001-09-10T13:02:11Z")
[JHC! I really shouldn’t post before 9am!] Coming from a long line of generously padded women that have spent their lives watching their weight and spent most of their lives on diets, I’ve known that all along. ---
**Author:** ![Simetra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Simetra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simetra)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/5 "2001-09-10T13:04:19Z")
Let’s just call this the mistake thread and to hell with it. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arden Ranger \* > **…spent most of their loves on diets…** You tryin’ to tell us something **Arden**? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/6 "2001-09-10T13:17:03Z")
Sounds vaguely creepy, don’t it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/7 "2001-09-10T21:57:03Z")
See? Being fat isn’t my fault! Now I can eat that second pizza and not worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/8 "2001-09-10T22:19:32Z")
Why is this a news flash? A genetic pre-disposition toward being overweight has been understood as a fact by science for decades now and by common sense humans in general since forever. This is simply more info about the specific mechanism. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2001, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/9 "2001-09-10T23:56:47Z")
One gene is unlikely to explain obesity. The most common cause of obesity is eating oo much and exercising too little. Many people who exercise too little and eat too much remain thin. We call these people “jerks”. Like anything else, in addition to having the genetic predisposition to something, you have to be exposed to the right conditions. People with two fat parents shouldn’t enjoy three Sausage McMuffins for breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2001, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/according-to-swedish-research-you-can-be-genetically-predisposed-to-be-fat/80652/10 "2001-09-11T01:02:43Z")
I wanna be a jerk.