Fight for a Lifetime

There is an epidemic and you are not alone. She is been waiting for those results for awhile. She received some of them a few weeks back. The company could not finish running all the results, there was not enough material. She had to wait. She was sitting in a rolling black computer chair wondering what will be next. Then a sound that is familiar came through. A pin drop in the air. Is it good news? Is it something helpful or something annoying? There was a new message. She glanced; kind of half interested so see what it was. Then she thought, well here it is. The results I been waiting for. What will they tell me. A lot of things were running through her mind. What will I find out? Should I open the results now? Wait until I get home? What will all this mean?

These tests are more and more common. She was seeking out this test because there had been a lack of answers. She has been trying hard to get better, to feel better. Nothing seemed to be working. A lot of people are in those same shoes. What shoes? She got what she had from her parents, grandparents, great grandparents. There was not a lot of choice in the matter. Just the way she was born. She could not wait, the intensity of emotion filled up the office. The sun was shining outside, the trees were watching intensely. The workday was almost over. Just do it her mind commanded. She did.

The workday was almost over. Well, why not, she thought. What the worst that could happen? She opened up her CRI genetics health report. She started to read about her genetics as they relate to her health, allergies, sensitivities, metabolism and so forth. The more she read the more it made sense. Quick caffeine metabolism, caffeine anxiety, allergies to cats, dogs, and pollen, high triglycerides, low salt sensitivity, the list goes on. Now those teary eyes and swollen eye lids made more and more sense. It was like switching on a light bulb. The more she read the more she understood herself, her family, and problems she has been having. Then there it was. The result that made tears come to her eyes. It still does every time she thinks about it. It has been a struggle and a fight for over 20 years now ever since her second child. It all made perfect sense now. It is not just her, there is a genetic disposition that is working against her. Not just one gene. Six. Three in each category. The categories, just looking at them so simply written with and explanation made her head spin. It almost seemed surreal. She was in another dimension.

It has been 20 years of wondering what she has been doing wrong. Why she does not feel healthy, why she does not look the way she used to look. Here it was. Genetics plays a huge part in it so she will need to work extra hard to get better and get healthier.  It’s been so long. Here are the answers. Tears are flowing and she is trying to understand what it all means. What it means is that she will have to work extra hard for the rest of her life. The struggle will not end. Here are the genes that were handed down to her by her ancestry: genes RS10968576 is AG RS12444979 is CC and RS4771122 is GG. Looking at them does not mean a lot, they just seem interesting numbers, then the description comes.  Higher predisposition to high BMI (body mass index). The genes tell her to prefer high calorie foods, tell her that it will be difficult to maintain weight. The list goes on. Another three genes although they are on different chromosomes, numbered 3, 6 and 16 tell the difficulty to maintain weight and experience the yoyo effect as it is described in the report. Greater difficulty staying in shape comes from both parents. She has to exercise more, not have any drinks, no sugar or use tobacco products. Good to know she thought. Smoking and alcohol was never a problem. Bread and sweets on the other hand, well that is another story.

One interesting fact it the bottom of the page it stated the confirmation as to why this is a big problem. It is not just a problem for her. She knew this. There is an epidemic. Obesity epidemic. The processed foods don’t help either. Fat and sugar loaded foods don’t hep either. Also, genetics play a role. The things she craves, the things others crave. Others who took this health test over 76% people got the same results, two parents, high difficulty to maintain weight. What does this mean for our future, she wondered. About 20% people had moderate difficulty maintaining the weight, this left about 2.6% little difficulties and some inconclusive results. She did not know how many people took this test, still it is most likely a good representation of the population. So, the population is predisposed to obesity, yet look at our food stores. Full of fatty and sugary foods. Welcome to the new evolution, she thought. Well she will just have to work harder. She will. No other choice. She has this sentence taped to her computer screen: “Never give up”. She is me and I won’t give up.

Hope you will join the fight to be healthier with me. This piece was written for myself and the group of Transformers for our weekly weight loss challenge requested by my coach Allison. She asked us what courageous thing we can do this week. I said I will write about my struggles to maintain my weight. Hope you enjoyed. Stay healthy, stay safe.