Welcome to the continuing diary series "Let's Read a WHEE Book Together!" This week, we're continuing with David Kessler's The End of Overeating, Chapter 33. If you're just discovering this diary series, you will find links to the previous installments at the bottom of this diary.
WHEE (Weight, Health, Eating and Exercise) is a community support diary for Kossacks who are currently or planning to start losing, gaining or maintaining their weight through diet and exercise or fitness. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are working on your weight or fitness, please -- join us! You can also click the WHEE tag to view all diary posts.
The End of Overeating, by David Kessler, M.D.
Chapter 33: Nature or Nurture?
Chapter 33 is a short chapter, much shorter than either of the last two chapters that I've reviewed. Kessler begins the chapter by identifying a fundamental question about conditioned hypereating -- what is the role of environment, and what is the role of genetics?
According to Kessler, a mother's pre-pregnancy weight is strongly correlated with obesity in her children. A University of Pennsylvania researcher classified a group of five-year-olds into high-risk or low-risk for obesity, depending on whether their mothers were overweight. The children were allowed to eat as much as they wanted of a regular meal, until each child felt full and stopped eating. They were then offered highly palatable snack foods for a period of ten minutes. The researcher found that the high-risk boys were twice as likely as the low-risk boys to reach for the snacks. Among five-year-old girls, however, maternal weight did not make a significant difference in the tendency to eat in the absence of hunger.
Kessler reviewed a number of studies of twins. Of four studies mentioned in the book, three found environmental factors more important than genetic factors. The authors of the fourth study estimated that genetics slightly outweighed environmental effects by 51% to 49%.
Another study, not specified as a twin study, estimated that environment was over four times as influential as genetic factors. This study also found a significant correlation between spouses, implying that the effects of environment are not limited to childhood.
Kessler wraps up this short chapter by saying:
...eating behavior itself may not be genetically determined, but how we respond to stimuli probably is, at least in some degree. One thing is certain--to whatever extent genes put us at risk for conditioned hypereating, they are able to express themselves only in the presence of highly rewarding foods...a conducive environment is necessary to trigger hypereating. That's exactly what we have today.
Previous chapters from The End of Overeating:
Part 3: Conditioned Hypereating Emerges
Chapter 32: Tracing the Roots of Conditioned Hypereating (reviewed by Clio2)
Chapter 31: Conditioned Hypereating Emerges (reviewed by me)
Chapter 29 (part 2 - emotional eating) (reviewed by me)
Chapter 30: How We Become Trapped (reviewed by Clio2)
Chapter 29 (part 1): Why We Don't Just Say No (reviewed by me)
Chapter 28: What Weight-Loss Drugs Can Teach Us (reviewed by Clio2)
Chapter 27: Overeating Becomes More Dangerous (reviewed by me)
Part 2: The Food Industry
Chapter 26: Purple Cows (reviewed by Clio2)
Chapter 25: The Science of Selling (reviewed by me)
(there are links to Chapters 14 through 24 in my Chapter 25 review)
Part 1: Sugar, Fat, and Salt
Chapter 13: Eating Behavior Becomes a Habit (reviewed by me)
(there are links to Chapters 1 through 12 in my Chapter 13 review)
Scheduled WHEE diaries:
December 20
Sun AM - louisev
Sun PM - kismet (HFC Open Thread)
December 21
Mon AM - NC Dem
Mon PM - Sychotic1
December 22
Tues AM - ???
Tues PM - Clio2 (Kessler, Ch. 34) ???
December 23
Weds AM - ???
Weds PM - Edward Spurlock
December 24
Thur AM - ???
Thur PM - ???
December 25
Fri AM - ???
Fri PM - ???
December 26
Sat AM - ???
Sat PM - Edward Spurlock (Kessler, Ch. 35)