Obesity and Living Together

As shown by parent-child, sibling and twin correlations and by comparison of the children of different parental fatness combinations, fatness definitely follows family line. Indeed, fatness level can be predicted from grandparental fatness levels and from the number of obese family members living together. However, a purely genetic explanation for the level of fatness and actual obesity is untenable given fatness similarities of spouses, parents and their adopted children, adoptive siblings and of parents and their adult children who no longer live within the home. Comparing fatness levels of genetically unrelated "family" members and measuring synchronies in fatness change among family members who live together (i.e., parents and children and siblings and spouses) it is clear that fatness and obesity are both acquired in the family context. While parental and grandparental models of eating and exercising may well explain levels of energy intake and expenditure that account for differences in fatness differences in children, there is also some evidence that fatness and fatness gain of younger family members may affect the body fat mass of members of the elder generation. The largely-learned family line nature of fatness and obesity becomes important in the early diagnosis of obesity, the prevention of obesity and in programs of fatness reduction and dietary reeducation if they are to be of lasting effect.