Most people believe that one’s body size is fully dependent on the amount and the specific type of food that people eat. The truth is that other factors contribute to the general structure of a person’s body. Heredity is a major determining factor, considering the fact that the genes of the parents are carried on to the children. This makes the body of a person exhibit the traits of the parent hence the various types of body sizes.
Contrary to the fact that heredity determines the body size of a person, some children born of over-weight parents may have low weights and the reverse may also happen. This is then exhibited throughout the lives of these children. People born of one under-weight parent and one over-weight parent may also exhibit normal body structures. This can be attributed to genes that have been carried on from previous generations of the same family.
Under-weight people are in many cases judged to be so due to poor diet or abuse of drugs. Contrary to this belief, a majority of these people, especially men, strive to gain weight and get their bodies well-built by eating heavily (Smolin, 2010). Similarly, over-weight persons are said to be so due to a large uptake of food that is not proportional the level of exercising that the people engage in. A majority of people try to follow guidelines tips given on magazines and various television shows but they end up unsuccessful (Edlin, 2009). These factors support the fact that heredity determines body weight.
In most cases, repeated weight loss diet by over-weight people leads to higher weight gains. This can be attributed to the following factors: when the body is exposed to continuous deprivation, it lowers the rate of metabolism to conserve energy, rather than burning the body fat. Staying on a low calorie diet for a long period of time takes it long for the body metabolism to return to normal (Smolin, 2010). This leads to rapid weight gain immediately after loosening the diet restriction. Another reason is that when people lose weight, fat and protein is lost but in regaining weight, only fat is gained. The third reason is that in weight loss, fat cells shrink but in regaining, fat cells multiply. All these factors support the idea that fasting or avoiding consuming various types of food does not lead to weight loss and that heredity is a likely reason for weight factors.
Under-weight people may try to eat a food with plenty of fat but the result will only be a rise in levels of cholesterol in the blood. High levels of cholesterol lead to heart-related problems, threatening the life of an individual (Edlin, 2009). The illnesses that result from the high levels of cholesterol contribute to lower body weight. Majority of under-weight people trying to gain weight avoid exercising their bodies to avoid weight loss. The result of avoiding exercises is health complications that may make the person lose weight further (smolin, 2010). To eliminate the risk of poor health, it is better to familiarize with the fact that genetic make-up of a person cannot be altered and lead a normal life.
Other than heredity, other factors that determine body weight body include age and gender. In early stages of life, humans tend to have low weights. This can be attributed to the fact that the body is actively creates new cells responsible for growth hence food taken is utilized in growth (Treasure, 2009). In the middle ages, the body is fully developed and food taken is stored in the body as fat, hence weight gain. Gender also contributes to the difference in body weight. It is a fact that the amount of food that a female needs to experience a certain amount of body weight is less, compared to that of males (Treasure, 2009). This is due to the fact that the make-up of genes of females allows utilization of food in growth, more than it does in men. This is the reason behind the larger number of over-weight women compared to that of men.
In conclusion, developing a positive mind-set towards oneself helps lead a better way of living without much concern on the body weight. This is due to the fact that a good self esteem helps to reduce stress associated with thoughts on how to change the nature of a person’s body (Edlin 2009).
References:
Edlin, G., Golanty, E. (2009): Health and Wellness. London: Jones & Barlett Learning
Smolin, A., Grosvener, B. (2010): Nutrition and Weight Management. London: Infobase Publishing
Treasure, J., Birmingham, C. (2009): Medical Management of Eating Disorders. London: Cambridge University
