are asians prone to be skinny or fat?

[VV o n g B a]

this article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6885161/site/newsweek/) mentions that many asians have a gene set that causes obesity b/c of cold climates. i know recently many asians in asia have been gaining weight but i thought that was simply a result of getting a more western diet.

i would have thought that, if anything, asians had an anti-obesity gene. how often do u hear asian guys complaining about not being able to gain weight vs white guys complaining about the same thing? for me, its overwhelmingly asian. i've lost 10 lbs since hs b/c i haven't been as active (and trust me, i don't eat healthy), and some of my other friends have tried for months to gain weight by working out and eating more protein but have either gained nothing or something around 10 lbs and can't gain anymore.

[BigLew]

I think it's bullshit. Any time I hear supposed scientific evidence why one race is more prone to something or what not, a flag goes off. Also you are a grown ass man don't worry about your weight.

[VV o n g B a]

Also you are a grown ass man don't worry about your weight.well, its hard to worry about my weight when i don't even have a scale in my apartment. i was only interested b/c they brought race into discussion.

[BigLew]

well, its hard to worry about my weight when i don't even have a scale in my apartment. i was only interested b/c they brought race into discussion.Oh my bust.

[My Name Is...]

I think it's important to know what group is prone to what, medically speaking.
For example, a lot of Asians can't digest alcohol, which results in Asian glow and lower tolerance. (I think that's how it goes.)

As for body size, I think it depends. There are lots of slim Asian people, but I attribute that more to diet than to genetics.

[yuuteya]

I dont know, I eat lots of different kinds of foods, main dishes, appetizers, desserts, and not only East Asian food but all types, and yet I never gain any weight. I love to eat alot, but I always stay slim no matter what.

[sOKaLiBoY]

I dont know, I eat lots of different kinds of foods, main dishes, appetizers, desserts, and not only East Asian food but all types, and yet I never gain any weight. I love to eat alot, but I always stay slim no matter what.

i'm exactly the same. i'm 5'7" 135lbs. i've been this weight for almost 3 years now. even after all of the beer and other various alcohol :biggrin:

[YuheiCarreau]

I have a Chinese friend who's about5'6" and... Well, I dunno how much he weighs, but he's pretty skinny. He has the fastest metabolism of anyone I know - he would get up around 10 or 12, eat one HUGE meal at 5, then something greasy like chicken tenders and fries around 11. And if he didn't, he'd lose weight - he told me one summer he stopped drinking soda, and he lost 12 pounds!

He has the worst body type, though - out-of-shape skinny guy. Seems like a lot of skinny asians I know are like that, slim but in terrible shape.

[asvenus]

skinny and fatties in my family..and i yo yo between the two sides :redface: my family usually attribute any weight gains to living in the west and eating shitty foods..particularly white breads and yeast in all the breads

[kpih]

It really depends. Asian is a tremendously diverse group. Weather, diet, hereditary traits and so many factors can come into play.

My family is a mix between the northern and southern Chinese. My dad is from Shandong, and my mom is Cantonese. Yes my dad's side tend to be taller and heavier, but diet and lifestyle has a lot to do with the weight.

I am 5'11" and 185lbs. My brother, however, is 5'4", 220lbs. The differences in weight is more due to diet...

There are loads of report recently about weight gain in Asia and fast food..


This just in. The kind of bullshit research that pisses me off. Genetics? How come overweight children is primarily an American phenomenon? Overweight moms tend to be less cautious about food vs. the 'fat gene'?

Mom's Weight Problem Is Child's Problem, Too

But Is Overweight Tendency Genetic or Environmental?

By Jeanie Lerche Davis
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Michael Smith, MD
on Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Jan. 25, 2005 -- Overweight 4-year-olds? It's a common problem these days. Childhood obesity is showing up at early ages -- and genetics seem to play a key role, researchers say.

By age 6, children are 15 times more likely to be obese if their mothers are overweight, new research shows.

The study indicates efforts to prevent childhood obesity should focus on these kids -- preferably by 4 years of age.

"Some kids clearly become overweight by 4 years old … and they tend to be the children of overweight mothers," says researcher Robert I. Berkowitz, MD, executive director of the Behavioral Health Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. His study appears in the latest issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"It's an early signal to be concerned … to help these children," Berkowitz tells WebMD. "There's no reason to wait for body fat to appear on these kids before intervening," he writes.

It's a call to action for pediatricians, says Robert Kramer, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist and nutritionist at the Miller School of Medicine at University of Miami. He conducted his own study of preschool children in the Miami area -- finding that 34% were overweight or obese.

"Pediatricians measure a child's BMI, or they should be, at all well-child visits," Kramer tells WebMD. "They should be identifying those children as having high risk for developing obesity as an adult. Studies like this show that even before children show signs of obesity, if they have maternal risk, they should get intervention." BMI (body mass index) is an indicator of body fat.

Childhood Obesity in Toddlers Begins With Moms

With the epidemic of childhood obesity, both genetic vulnerability and environment are under the microscope. Researchers want to know: Who becomes obese? At what age does obesity begin?

Few long-term studies have examined these factors. However, two reports have identified the parents or overweight mothers specifically as key factors. Those findings prompted Berkowitz and his colleagues to investigate this link between childhood obesity and mothers' weight problems.

His study involved 70 children whose growth was followed from birth to age 6; 33 children had overweight mothers (the high-risk kids), and 27 kids had lean mothers (the low-risk kids).

At regular doctor visits, the kids' lean and fat body mass were measured.


At age 2, the kids' weight and BMI were similar.
By age 4, the high-risk kids were showing greater differences -- with higher weight, BMI, and waist measurements.
By age 6, high-risk kids began to show evidence of more fat.

"For the first time [at age 6] fat mass in the high-risk children was significantly greater than that in the low-risk children, as was percentage of body fat," Berkowitz writes.

At age 6, 30% of the high-risk and 3% of the low-risk kids had high BMI. Six of the high-risk children were in highest BMI levels for their age. None of the low-risk kids were.

Some kids of overweight moms remained lean, he notes. "Their genes may be a little different, or their home environment may be different," says Berkowitz.

"We know that once a kid is overweight -- and if the family has weight problems -- that's a significant risk factor for later weight problems," he tells WebMD.


How to Fight Childhood Obesity?

Bottom Line: How to Fight Childhood Obesity?

There's not an easy answer. "There are intervention programs for adolescents and teens, but not for kids this young," Berkowitz says. Therefore, he advises: less fat in the diet, less sugar, fewer calorie-dense foods, less fried food, less junk food. "Also, it's important to deal with inactivity. We need to promote healthy physical activity and cut down on TV watching."

Moms need to face their own weight problems -- then help their young children. "We don't want moms to feel bad. But we need to help these children. A lot of this is either a combination of genetic predisposition and Western lifestyle, not a personal failing. I think parents and kids can work together to create a healthy family lifestyle," Berkowitz tells WebMD.

But family ties to childhood obesity still aren't fully explained. "If an overweight mother was to lose weight before her pregnancy, would that be protective for her child?" asks Kramer. "It goes to the question, how does obesity develop? Are these genes that are passed on that will develop in the child? Or does exposure to an obese mother during pregnancy affect metabolism of fat cells and nutrient metabolism in the prenatal period?"

Certainly there are lean parents whose kids fall prey to childhood obesity, Kramer notes.

"Genetics is not the entire story. The classic thing you'll hear is that the obesity epidemic has developed over past 20 or 30 years, so genetic predisposition has been around for a long time. It's just being awakened in this toxic environment. Your genetics puts you on the cliff, but environment pushes you off."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOURCES: Berkowitz, R. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2005; vol 81: pp 140-146. Robert I. Berkowitz, MD, executive director, Behavioral Health Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Robert Kramer, MD, pediatric gastroenterologist and nutritionist; and medical director, BEACH (Better Eating and Activity for Children's Health) Clinic, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami.

[yuuteya]

i'm exactly the same. i'm 5'7" 135lbs. i've been this weight for almost 3 years now. even after all of the beer and other various alcohol :biggrin:

Did you know the world's champion of eating is a young Japanese guy whos like 23 or something. He also looks like those measurements too 5.7/135 (hey, were the same), so yeh, like he's really slim, but he's actually in good shape. Like he's thin, but he's got muscle definition, and the guy eats and eats and wins. Hot dogs, pizzas, curry rice, sushi... He always beats out those big fat overweight White dudes in all the contests. Maybe its a Japanese thing... :biggrin:

[asvenus]

^^maybe it is..Sumo wrestlers anyone :tongue: youre all just fatties dying to bust out!!

[yuuteya]

no way, not that kind of Japanese :tongue:

[VV o n g B a]

thought this was interesting. according to bmi, which is at times misleading b/c of bodybuilders and such, 30% of ppl in the US are overweight but only about 3% of japanese and koreans are. also interestingly, the strongest correlating factor is teen birth rate. the US has the highest and japan/korea the lowest.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

[Jin/晋]

Asians are capable of chubby, but I've never seen a fat Asian. (sumos don't count, they are professionals)

[Craig]

thought this was interesting. according to bmi, which is at times misleading b/c of bodybuilders and such, 30% of ppl in the US are overweight but only about 3% of japanese and koreans are. also interestingly, the strongest correlating factor is teen birth rate. the US has the highest and japan/korea the lowest.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesityThere a major correction to what you just said and linked ... Those percentages are for "obese", not "overweight" ...

[VV o n g B a]

ah yes. i failed to register a distinction there in my mind.