Fatty Arbuckle—Not
In the news this week: the Fat Gene. We're not talking about some guy named Gene who looks like a blimp. Scientists have found evidence that many people may be fat because of genetics. In layman's language, the so-called "fat gene " tells a certain protein (UCP2) to convert calories to harmless surplus body heat or instead into body fat. In tests, the animals with lower levels of UCP2 gained weight, while ones with higher levels did not, even when consuming more food. This might explain why some people eat as much as they want and never gain weight.
Clearly, the rush for developing a wonder-drug is on. Still, even with genetics as a possible root cause for being overweight, it doesn't explain why our society is fatter today overall than we have been in the past. Other studies have shown that Asian and Latin American countries showed a marked increase in weight gain after the introduction of American fast- food. Behavior—eating moderately or excessively, limiting fat consumption, exercising and the change to sedentary lifestyles—have also been demonstrated to affect weight loss and gain.
The "quick fix " wonder drugs may seem an easy remedy at first, but what does it mean in the long term? Will we be tempted to abandon personal responsibility for our health and bodies altogether, taking the re-active route rather than the pro-active one? Tell us what you think—email us at egg@foodwine.com and mark FATTY in the subject of your letter.
In a related story...
Weight Watchers: Fighting Global Fat
Americans are not the only ones overweight, and the business of slimming down is as lucrative around the world as it is here. Leading the pack of pills, potions and promotions is Weight Watchers International, with over 14 million devotees abroad. (The US claims a whopping 20 million.) Part of its success lies in allowing each country its own strategy, and on lower costs for classrooms, a major part of the treatment. In the UK, Weight Watchers leapt to a 45% market share with its 1,2,3 Success program, which uses points to tally foods rather than scales. In Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, its Success Signals program groups foods into green, red and amber categories, equating to low, average and high fat foods; in 4 months, enrollment has doubled. Rio de Janeiro's version, Vigilantes de Peso, gives away free scales and pulls in 1000 meetings weekly, each with about 40 members. Asia, where obesity is rare, remains weight "watchless " but already the company is anticipating future growth there. Why? The fast-food proliferation of American eateries like McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC. (BTW—on the corporate tracksheet, Weight-Watchers is owned by HJ Heinz Company.)