[imcarthur]

Offered without other comment:

"It used to be your glands were blamed for obesity, as in,"Don't blame me, blame my pituitary." After several decades of searching for and failing to find an organ in the body that was causing the eater to consume too many doughnuts, the blame game switched to genes. I'd like a nickel for every weight-loss client who went through the genealogy of obese relatives concluding, "It runs in the family."

A recently reported analysis of studies on an obesity gene, FTO, has concluded that if obesity "runs in the family" then running will prevent the family from becoming obese. The study suggests if all your relatives on both sides of your family can't see their laps when they sit down, if you run or otherwise engage in physical activity, it is doubtful that you will be fat . . . (snip)

Apparently just having the gene is not sufficient to produce an obese body. The FTO gene does increase the risk of obesity by 23% but its effect, according to the report, may be limited to upping your body mass by 1 kg or a little over 2 pounds. This means that going on a cruise is more likely to add pounds than inheriting the gene."

From Psychology Today: Can Your Genes Really Make You Fat?

Ian