Genetics play a huge part in who we are. But we also have a free will. Aidan Quinn

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Genetics is more than just the study genes — you need to know their importance, what they do, their effect on your life, their links, and many more...

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When I said genetics is more than just the study of genes, of course, I meant it. Genetics is way broader than just studying genes. Genetics is linked to so many things like intelligence, appetite, body weight, obesity, diabetes to mention but a few. It could be the reason you are having a particular disease, the reason you're that smart or even the reason why you are the ladies' guy, Lol. Genetics just covers too many parts of our lives, and maybe some unknown parts of our life too, who knows if what we'll wake up to see tomorrow is one scientist revealing mysteries about genetics, our genes.

Our genes play a part in our body builds, shapes, muscles, eyesight, strength, skin color, our resemblance — our identification, and most importantly, our health. Just like a cousin I lost a few years back, though I was much younger, he had died of the Sickle Cell Anaemia, his mother was a carrier likewise his father — the reason they advise you to check for genotype compatibility before marriage.

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By carrier, I mean someone with a single 'S' in his/her genotype, AS particularly and those with double 'S' are called sicklers.

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They thought at first birth they should at worst have a child with an 'AS genotype' following the erasable usual cross we do with our pencils but hey,^[1] gene donation occurs randomly and not in respect to the cross. They are just guesses, so if you have an AS genotype stay clear of people with the same genotype — hmm, it's not contagious though, just don't get too close to the extent of considering marriage with any of them.

Another aspect I'll like to talk about is the relationship of genetics to our appetite and body weight.^[2] It's no news that people who are addicted to food have at least a member in their family that's addicted to food as well and many might not know that just a slight variation in the distribution of your taste receptors can make you have a different meal while eating another — like having herbs while eating something delicious, Lol. The variation might in some cases just lower or elevate your sensitivity to sweet taste, it might be a little and it might be huge as well.

There's more to genetics than can be described in a few lines or pages but if you want to know more on the basics: ^[3] Gene, ^[4] Chromosome, ^[5] Genome, ^[6] DNA, ^[7] Mutation.

Appetite

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Appetite is the desire for something but here we are focusing on the desire for food. Appetite, the desire to eat food might be due to hunger and sometimes just because the food is appealing to you.

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Well, if you ask me, we have different ways of reacting to situations, conditions, circumstances maybe because of our genetic makeup. The same thing that made you happy might just make me sad, take for instance, you give the herb "Coriander sativum" to a mixed sitting of both British and African people. ^{[[8]](www.news-medical.net/amp/health/The-Genetics-of-Corianders-Soapy-Taste.aspx)} The British people like it but the Africans hate it saying it tastes like soap and has a bad aroma. Of course, you can't blame the Africans, why should the British like it and the Africans dislike it? Why is the reaction not interwoven like some Africans like it and some British hate it too ?? _**Genetics**_

^[9] There is something genetic about the perception of the taste of Coriander like an enzyme changing the way our taste receptors sense Coriander — scientists still working on finding the trait responsible for this though. Coriander is said to have a citrus taste which is sweet though I've never tasted it so it might taste just like soap to me too, don't know. I'm an African, Lol.

^[10] In a test done by the "UCLA college of medicine" on overweight people who consumed excess carbohydrate, they found out they had the same genetic abnormality, the D2 dopamine marker — the genetic marker that had been established for the chemical dependency on alcohol.

^[11] Just like the opening quote of this write-up, genetics is a huge part of our lives but they are not 100% fixed, they are still responsive to our environment, our experiences, and of course, what we eat — This is best explained by ^[12] Epigenetics.

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Epigenetics is the study of how people’s environments and experiences affect the function of their genes, which include add-ons—or epigenetic markers—that evolve as an animal adapts to its environment.

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^[13] Lastly, on genetics and appetite, always bear in mind that if you have someone with food addiction in your family's history, then you have a greater risk of the disorder too although genetics only provide blueprints of who we ought to be, it can not determine who we want to be, that's our choice to make.

Body weight

Persistence supersedes talent, genetics and luck. There's no true success without it. Livefitter

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Obesity is defined as an abnormal condition in which an individual accumulates so much fat even to extent of posing a threat to his health and it is usually linked to genetics and environmental factors.

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After knowing the link between genetics and appetite, I think you should have known it would still come down to body weight. The bad part of food addiction is when you continuously crave for food and you don't hesitate to satisfy your cravings, you'll gain more body weight and if you're not careful, in the long run, you'll have to battle obesity — a current global problem.

^[14]Obesity sets in through permission from our genes and behaviour. By permission, I mean they determine if a person will be obese or not — in the sense that if one has the tendency to be obese due to genetics, his behavior and environmental factors must also agree before obesity comes in. Take a person with genes for obesity for example, if he doesn't eat too much, doesn't sit too much, does a lot of daily exercises, there's no way obesity is coming in, except it's spiritual, Lol.

Like the quote above "persistence supersedes genetics," yes, it does. I think I earlier said genetics don't make us who we truly are, we have a choice to either let them fully express themselves or only the fixed genes. If your genes point at obesity, you only have much work to do, it doesn't mean you must be obese. You have to be persistent to overcome. You really need to work your ass off, eat healthily, exercise yourself, work, walk, make sure you shed weight and you'll do just fine, 😉.

^[15]...and even not having genes connected to obesity doesn't mean you're free cos you ain't. People without obesity in the family history are also at a risk of having it too just that once it's in your family history, you're at a greater risk, that's all. So, don't go about eating all you find because one thing leads to another.
Large Apetite > Food Addiction > Increased Body Weight > Obesity.
That's how it goes. Everyone is susceptible to it but we can choose what we want. Also be careful, notice I didn't put genetics in the order above.

I hope I have been able to show you the link between genetics, appetite, and body weight. I also hope I didn't put you in a confused state in the case of genetics. Remember they don't define you, you define yourself. Do have a good day...

Thank you for coming around!!

That little boy, @pearlumie.

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Image Sources:

• Customized gene

• Image on apetite

• Body weight

References

^{[9] What is genetic about the Coriander?}

^{[10] Abnormal genetic marker, D2 Dopamine marker}

^{[11] Genetics is a huge part of our lives}

^{[12] Epigenetics}

^{[13] Food addiction is genetic}

^{[14] Our control over obesity}

^{[15] We are all susceptible to obesity}