Genes don't make people obese- excessive calories make people obese. It's physically impossible to not lose weight when consuming fewer calories than you're burning. Perhaps genes encourage overeating, a slightly lower metabolism, or increased preference for high calorie foods, but nevertheless, anyone capable of expending calories is capable of being a normal weight.

It's utter nonsense to equate inherited weight with inherited height- under proper conditions, anyone can change their weight to just about anything, as a child and as an adult- absolutely not the case for height.

Also, genetic inheritance does nothing to account for why obesity rates have more than doubled in the last 50 years. The answer of course is that increasingly calorically dense foods, coupled with ever more sedentary lifestyles have lead to the epidemic. Perhaps people with certain genes are more susceptible to become obese in these conditions, but that doesn't mean obesity is out of their control.

I agree with you - to a point. I actually logged in to mention the same thing: if genetics are so responsible for our weight, how the hell has our national obesity rate shot up so fast in a few generations? The claims made in this article scream 'ill-researched op-ed piece with a bone to pick.'

Of course it is not all genetics, or even 80% genetics. DNA plays a big role in how easily you lose weight, and I am well aware that no diet in the world will turn me into Heidi Klum. But please don't egg on this culture of vicimization by saying that a TV-watching, McDonald's eating couch potato has no influence on their own weight!

Finally - watching the movie last night, I was at first a little uncomfortable with how the humans on the ship were fat, thoughtless, helpless, and ridiculous. I think we are, and should be, sensitive to how we tend to judge people by their weight, and I didn't like the implication that being fat went with all those other things. But really - if you never had to walk, what do you think you would look like? If anything, they were way more adorably roly-poly than we would be under such circumstances. Furthermore, they were portrayed as happy, brave, risk-taking, adventurous hard workers by the end of the movie, giving those pudgy folks all the best in human nature.

Not only has obesity rates shot up within the generations living here, but if you compare immigrants and their descendents there is a trend for each succeeding generation to be bigger (height and width wise). So I think genetic predisposition can only take you so far. It is the lifestyle and foods offered in America that makes people tend to be bigger than people in other countries.

Also if you buy more fruits and vegetables than meat and processed foods your grocery bill actually comes out less.