Why is it that as we age fat begins to overwhelm our bodies like a garden with weeds out of control?
Interestingly enough, our keen awareness of the problem does not make the answer to this question any less startling.
This cruel anomaly has been in the making from the very start of our existence…
Long before the abundance of food was taken for granted, when our ancestors were living with shortages and an unpredictable food supply, the human body was conditioned to go through extended periods during which fat storage was a prerequisite for sustenance and energy in times of scarcity.
Now that we are living in an era of plenty and no way of switching it off, the genetic code that was once our guardian and defender has become our nemesis.
This “good” gene that embedded itself within us over the ages now stands between us and our quality of life, and in some cases, our very survival. It is directly responsible for the sudden explosion in obesity and obesity-related casualties. Projections indicate that it will continue to wreak havoc upon the lives of millions far into the foreseeable future, costing billions upon billions in health care and other expenses.
Why does its impact worsen as we get older and move further into time?
Historically, the older we grew the better we were protected by this gene. Because it has no way of knowing the times have changed, it continues to work in the same old fashion.
Granted, no matter how far back in time we go, we’ll find there were always overweight people. However, never before in the history of mankind has an obesity disaster of this magnitude occurred. The numbers have been rising steadily for the past 60 years, with the steepest climb taking place within the last 30 years. During this short period of time, the number of overweight Americans has gone from 1 in 8 to almost 1 in 2. This dramatic 4 fold increase accounts for the more than 100 million Americans who are now overweight.
How exactly does the fat gene work?
It works by causing a greater efficiency of our metabolism. Much like an automobile that gets good gas mileage. In other words, it helps us to make more out of less as we age. The problem is, we are not automobiles, we have no separate fuel compartment or “fat tanks” for safe storage. Instead, the burden is placed directly upon the operating systems of our body causing undue stress, illnesses, diseases, and a rapid acceleration toward an inevitable breakdown.
What can we do about it?
All our lives we’ve been taught to believe efficiency is good, only to discover that in some rare instances it can actually be bad. This is one such instance. Of course, the best solution would be to find a way to expel all vestiges of this unwanted genetic relic from within our bodies. Unfortunately, however, this is something modern science has not yet mastered.
This leaves us with only one choice.
We must remain ever vigilant and proactive by taking those steps necessary to ward off the dreaded manifestations caused by obesity. such as type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, and cancer. Especially, as we age we must intensify our efforts to keep our bodies… the most important garden we’ll ever own, as weed-free as possible.
It is truly heart-wrenching to know that the gene that once spared the lives of our ancestors and paved the way to our own existence could come back to haunt us in such an insidious manner.
It is clear that obesity and excess weight permeate every aspect of a person’s life, from increasing the risk of life-threatening diseases and higher mortality rates, to unfairly altering their quality of life. There is only one solution to losing weight. You have tried everything, you say. Nothing works. Moreover, what worked was only temporary.
Whenever you begin to hear these negative voices, remember that even moderate weight loss has been shown to advance health as well as extend and improve quality of life.
Most of us who are overweight have struggled with this for much of our lives. This is not something new. It is not because we are lazy or weak of character. It is merely because you have not yet used the right tools.
Perhaps, someday soon, the long-awaited scientific breakthrough will come for the millions of sufferers whose lives this one gene continues to alter and destroy. After all, it was our ability to make huge technological strides and create such unprecedented abundance that brought us here. We can only hope that, eventually, the same display of ingenuity will also enable us to dismantle this perilous genetic time bomb.
Meanwhile, we must make do with the tools we have to avert the aggressive stranglehold we face. Fortunately, we happen to possess a few that are exceptionally effective at doing the job. If you are still missing out on the life-changing benefits these tools provide, it’s time to put them to work for you too!
About the Author
Just Jeni, USA
I am a certified fitness and nutrition consultant; however, I am also just an average woman who faces the same anxieties about diet and health as most people do – men and women alike. My overall goal is to aid people in improving their quality of life by improving their health/weight. I love to share what I’ve learned!
