Genetic tampering

I watch a lot of PBS. Something I caught was a show on the genetic occurrences of weight gain. This interested me in that I'm a big fella.
Okay, so here we go.

• There's a substance that clamps onto certain parts of our genetic makeup that can be passed along with the gene itself. This substance can prevent a gene from activating and is transmissible.


• There has been documented evidence that crop failures, droughts, and seasonal excess can affect people's statistical health for up to two generations. That is to say a drought this year might cause heat disease to rise in all the progeny of children who are 12-14 when the drought occurs.


• We know that certain phenotypic variations are not genetic as previously imagined (homosexuality, weight, color, etc). But it is possible that these chemicals are causing traits to pass generations by cutting off or over stimulating genes.

So here's the golden goose in all this. Since about the 1960s (yes, I'm blaming Twiggy), women have been hitting fad diets to meet progressively smaller ideal body types.

Let me take a moment to be clear, I do not agree with these "ideals". All these women in LA running around looking like little boys from the back with oversized breasts make me question the sexuality of anyone who finds them attractive. Given my druthers, the ideal body type would be a lot closer to the Khardasians than the Hiltons.

But I digress. I'm beginning to wonder if the current trend towards obesity in the US isn't being CAUSED by the diet industry.

Follow this logic.

1. Women in the 60s and 70s start dieting. Most of those diets were some variant or another on starvation.


2. Starvation triggers a response that alters the genetic traits to hold onto any weight that can be gained


3. It also causes the hunger system to amp up.


4. Women have children during this time (thin women are usually attracting a mate)


5. the genetic markers to hold on to weight and for increased hunger are passed on to their progeny


6. What's worse, since this generation tends towards the rubenesque, all their members favor dieting.


7. This increases the probability that the same genetic traits get passed on to the next generation.


8. Unless this new generation embraces acceptance of body type, and stops dieting, the third generation will experience a genetic structure of profane obesity.

I hope i'm wrong about this, but... wow, it's too ... solid.