Jake Young is a 
Now that is pretty clear. This is from Miller and Silverstein in Nature Clinical Practice. It is in reference to childhood obesity:
There has been much debate about the cause of the current epidemic of obesity. Most experts agree that the increased prevalence of childhood obesity cannot be blamed on changes in either the environment or genetics alone. Environmental changes (i.e. nutrition and lifestyle) are, however, likely to be primarily responsible for the current epidemic, because it is not possible for the gene pool to change in less than one generation.
The authors go on to present some genetic caveats, and I noted before that obesity genetics is a complex subject.
However, purveyors of the belief that obesity is primarily genetic -- read: out of the patient or the doctor's control -- will always have to contend with the huge increases in childhood and adult obesity in a single generation. Whatever the genetic background, the cause of this increases is a change in environment, and the cure will be a change in environment.
I encourage you to read the whole review. It is really good, and I think it is free to the public..
Medicine & Health
Comments
What "huge increases in childhood and adult obesity in a single generation"? Perhaps, before rushing to untenable solutions, one should first accurately define the "problem" or question critically (skepticism) if there really is one at all.
Posted by: Rene | December 6, 2007 3:52 PM