It's Not Genes: People Are Fat Because They Eat Too Much

fried chicken (Photo credit: plasticrevolver)

From Medscape (free but you need to register)
Researchers from the University of Cambridge conducted a very simple
study. They wanted to know how many fast-food outlets are in
Cambridgeshire, the county that includes Cambridge and the university.
They also looked at where people commuted to work, and whether there was
any association between going by these fast-food places and obesity and
diabetes.

Bad Food, Not Bad Genes

Guess what they found? If you put a bucket of fried chicken out every
half-mile along the route people take to work and back, they are fatter.
There is a correlation between fast-food outlets and being diabetic or
being fat.

The point is this: Genes certainly play a role in how
people handle food, but if you live in a culture that overwhelms you
with opportunities to eat junk food and fatty food, even the best genes
can easily be overwhelmed.

Associations between exposure to takeaway food outlets, takeaway food consumption, and body weight in Cambridgeshire, UK: population based, cross sectional study