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^Genetics are not to blame
New study finds unhealthy lifestyles, not genetics, primary cause of obesity
■ !
■ t
Opinion
The Battalion
Page 9 • Friday, April 4, 2003
Women
Breast
‘*wmm
he typical col
lege student is
likely to have
xplrienced unwant-
d weight gain. Now,
iverweight and obese
^^■>le may find
■ 470 onjfort in science. A
Cotoret.lal CCC t Study SUggCStS
‘ J< hat i genetic muta-
% M ; ion contributes to
stomach defeating, implying that some may
■ 317 lave more than their actions to blame
or their hefty plight. While genetics
nay be a factor for a few, this study
I loes not account for the rapidly bal-
1-^ a3/Y^'Ooraing waistlines of the American
U (jpoplulation.
O he study, a multinational effort
^ .. ^ f , leaded by Dr. Frit/. Horber in Zurich,
oharnKAmeri. 3witzerland - sou g ht to explain the
sv l, [[ ie pg| ‘epidemic of obesity,” according to
lan 9.000 oftiThe Associated Press. Horber’s study
the country • s consistent with other research find-
:ently traveled ;ngs. indicating that people with a
> to the Iraqi nutated melanocortin 4 receptor gene,
been detainee j g £ . ne important in regulating
lations. Norn jpp e tit ei are likely to be binge eaters.
1 l! ' ' Upon hearing the same news from a
study at the University of Cambridge,
a family of research subjects had T-
h rnn ii r shi , ts made that read, “We’ve got an
llIUui(vir4 mutation.”
~ |n'he possibility of blaming genet-
1 iTHTII 1 ics rat * ler dian ^ ad habits may be
1 lCillIlli 3n l c j n g to an increasing number of
overweight Americans. The latest fig-
Scott Lindla^Js from the Centers for Disease
iSSOCIATED PtiControl and Prevention have desig-
haled San Antonio as the fattest city
HNGTON -
president’s gr:
seting with relar
illed in the set
i try.
vas the task av
George VV. Bi
in America, with more than 31 per
cent of the Alamo City’s adult resi
dents considered obese. Considering
the national trend, this title
should not be taken lightly.
The same figures reveal
that the number of obese
adults has risen 74 percent
in the last decade alone.
Now, almost one-quarter
of the entire population is
considered obese.
However, people battling
weight problems should
not be so quick to
blame genetics.
The same studies
linking binge eating
to genetics also found
that only 5 percent
of their obese test
subjects showed
the mutation. This
means that 95 per
cent of the people
who were tested can
not blame obesity on
genetic mutation.
As any fomierly-
slim college student
can attest, the prover
bial “freshman 15”
results from eating
the wrong foods and
sitting around the house,
not a change in genetics.
Unless the U. S. population
is currently experiencing a radi
cal change in genetic makeup, the
problem is actually unhealthy habits
and lifestyles.
The American diet, says the CDC,
increasingly consists of large portions
of unhealthy foods. Grocery stores
are stocked with ultra-processed
selections, and shoppers often
opt for “low-fat” choices
that contain more calories
than the foods they are
trying to avoid. Fast-
food restaurants are also
extremely popular, as
well as sugar-loaded
soft drinks.
In addition to
eating a terribly
unhealthy and
high-calorie diet,
the activity level of
Americans has
greatly declined.
With the advent of
time and labor-saving
technologies such as
dishwashers, cars and
elevators, there is less
of a need to expend
precious calories
doing simple tasks. In
fact, according to the
CDC, about a quarter of
/vj) Americans report doing no
/ physical activity at all, much
less exercising regularly.
For anyone who has been to
Europe, the effects of these cultural
habits are apparent. In large part,
Europeans eat smaller portions than
Americans, and they are more active.
Many get exercise simply because they
have to walk or bike to work instead
of drive, which can make a big differ
ence. The results are clear: according
to BBC statistics, the prevalence of
obesity in the United States far sur
passes that of almost all European
countries, some by more than 200 per
cent.
With this in mind, there is no
excuse for America’s trend toward
obesity. If lifestyles don’t change,
everyone may suffer. Obesity is a dan
gerously unhealthy condition— not
simply a condition that involves hav
ing a little extra fat on one’s midsec
tion. The National Institute of Health
estimates that obesity costs the nation
al economy almost $100 billion annu
ally in various ways, including med
ical costs and lost productivity.
Seeking to pass blame onto a rare
genetic mutation will not help the 95
percent of people in the study who are
simply too lazy to help themselves.
In the vast majority of cases, obe
sity does not result from a disease or
a genetic mutation, but from bad eat
ing habits and a sedentary lifestyle.
To solve the problem, people should
accept responsibility, get off the
couch and trade the cheeseburger for
a workout.
Jernd Najvar is a senior
political science major.
Graphic by Angelique Ford.
Iraqi war does not meet Christian criteria
as the command _
meeting the fatt
ies from a
rase that has at»'
mher of the U
hinkosmui
ogress is bet
e, people b
lity of the
an President George W. Bush, as a
deeply devoted Christian, wage the cur
rent invasion of Iraq titled “Operation
[aqi Freedom” and not violate the tenets of
■ar outlined by his faith? The Christian just-
lar doctrine, debated and refined by religious
scholars for more than a 1,000 years, states
criteria that must be met before resorting to a
war that may be considered justified.
I In his book, “War: A Primer for Christians,”
Joseph L. Allen, professor emeritus of Christian ethics at the
f e tempered, Parkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University,
■t'li th t ®tP* a i ns th 686 criteria. So the question remains: Does the current
( ( 1 war in Iraq satisfy these criteria? No, it doesn’t even come close.
I The most fundamental criterion, according to Allen, is justi
fiable cause. But the Bush Administration has failed to prove
that Iraq is about to use weapons of mass destruction or sell
them to terrorists. It has no real proof of an Iraqi connection to
— AriFleisf sLpt. n or al-Qaida.
? House spokesr Even worse, some of the Bush administration’s justifications
for war have been built on lies. The Bush Administration asserted
13 of the Amf that Mohammed Atta met with an Iraqi spy, but that claim was
timtwn.
»
later proven false, according to Newsweek. The Bush
Administration also pressured the Navy to change the status of
Lt. Cmdr. Michael Scott Speicher, who was lost the first day of
the 1991 Gulf War, from “missing” to “prisoner of war,” even
ction since tit
a weeks ago
i Lejeune, NX
rm the Marine;
ssing.
eeing the survi"
n. Bush wasgi'i
loring the cotf
»se Support the troops, don't support war
It times very;
cad .’ ' In response to a March 28 mail call:
An Fleischer
think as niir ^ thij s bastion of ultra-Bush-conservativism here in Aggieland
ennered 1 cali4^F re are ^ ew things that I agree with. I do agree that this
/ of the situali Un ' vers ‘ t y' des P'te how great it is, is not so great for minorities,
md not go toot and something has to be done about that. I do agree that we
i or another.” have to beat the hell outta t.u., and I do agree that Saddam needs
to be relieved of power for the greater good of the people of Iraq.
1 an T however, in disagreement with our present situation. I am
■*■**“■"* in disagreement with the war, and 1 feel that it is unjust. Poor
ii Wants jus ' S n0t i ust ‘hed by refusing to sell French Vanilla coffee.
’ Now, they now sell Freedom Vanilla. This is outright absurdity,
i of 16peo I am in disagreement with the idea that you cannot separate
your convictions of war without your support for our troops
5 (AP) - abroad. I support the troops in that I want them to return home
resident Thu safely anc j unscathed. And I pray for their safety for as long as
vift justice f^they are needed over in Iraq.
it killed 16 p 1 fighting for Iraqi people's freedom is a reason but not a justifi-
lustling whai a b| e one p eS pjt e that, Saddam must be taken out. I think our
i l eaders * 1 'P should call a spade a spade and say that we are going
e „ 0 ' over there for protection of our interests. Oil is a strategic
ran high in resource - ,n honesty, it is not be the logical reason for starting
liter Wedneii a i war ' but it is an important aspect that just cannot be thrown
southern city.' out as liberalist ranting.
nmen lobbed |As I write this, my brother, 1st Lt. Johnathan Leming, is flying
d strafed a D 1 over to Iraq to do his job as so instructed by our president and as
automatic gu'so expected by us. So please pray for him and all other soldiers
re no casualty anc j Aggies who have close ones in the war, as I will do tonight,
e was found
a Manila trad Marcus Leming
rsda y- Class of 2003
though the Pentagon had no new evidence Speicher was alive,
according to MSNBC.com. Evidence that Iraq tried to secure ura
nium from Niger for nuclear weapons proved to be forged,
according to The Washington Post.
Sometimes a preemptive strike may be justified if attack is
imminent. Allen gives the vivid example of Israel attacking
Egypt and Syria by air in 1967 after learning of an imminent
attack on Israel, but the Bush Administration has had to scram
ble for'excuses for the Iraq attack and has failed to show a jus
tifiable cause for war.
Another important criterion is that the decision to declare war
must be made by a legitimate authority. The U.N. Security
Council resolution 1441 promised “serious consequences” to
Saddam Hussein if Iraq failed to disarm. But no matter how “seri
ous consequences” is interpreted, the United States and its coali
tion did not have the authority to engage in warfare without secur
ing the approval of the U.N. Security Council.
Allen explains, “It is justifiable to resort to war only after all
peaceful alternatives ... have been exhausted without success.”
This clearly was not the case with Iraqi disarmament. Iraq was
not being completely cooperative in disarmament, but U.N.
weapons inspector Hans Blix indicated that Iraq was complying
with resolution 1441 and if given a few more months, Iraq
could have been disarmed peacefully, according to the Sun
Network of India.
Allen says, “The proportionality criterion prohibits resort to
war if the evil effects of doing so will ... exceed the evil to be pre-
MAIL CALL
Iraq's violations are incomparable
In response to an April 3 mail call:
Vinod Srinivason's arguments about parading POWs are as
superficial as they are trite. There is a small, insignificant docu
ment called The Bill of Rights (you might have read it) and in said
document, there is a right known as "Freedom of the Press." This
means that the press corps is its own entity and not subject to
the U.S. government. However, in Iraq, it is Al-Jazeera all the time.
The government has complete control of what is and (more
importantly) what is not seen. By this, the Iraqi government is
choosing to show POWs. In the United States, the press corps
(along with censors) decides what goes on the air.
Now, on to invading a so-called "sovereign nation." Iraq violated
countless U.N. sanctions, expelled U.N. investigators and harbored
terrorists. This argument is extremely old, but the funny thing is, it
is just cause.
Lastly, how is it ridiculous to rebuke someone for an immoral
action and then attempt to persuade them from repeating it?
Saddam should treat POWs justly because a horrible fate at the
hands of a military court awaits him if he does not. And if the Iraqis
want the U.S. forces to stop bombing their country into the Stone
Age, then yes, they should roll over and play dead. It is laundry day,
and we're bringing the Maytag.
Matt Malone
Class of 2003
Without provocation? What would you call Saddam killing more
than 50,000 Iraqi Kurds using chemical weapons? The tortures and
killings of his staunchest opponents? Or how about all the chemi
cal weapons that he had and supposedly destroyed, but could show
no evidence supporting the claim? What about the violation of U.N.
vented ... by going to war.” At this point, there is no indication
that waging this war is better than continued attempts at peaceful
disarmament of Iraq. Although a morose notion, the world com
munity should hope that a substantial amount of weapons of mass
destruction are found in Iraq. Then the massive loss of life already
incurred will not have been in vain.
“When Christians go to war, they are to do so out of love of
their enemies, as well as the victims involved,” according to
Allen. Many Americans are looking for revenge after Sept. 11,
and have managed to turn the frustration at the failure to capture
Osama bin Laden to Saddam and innocent Iraqi citizens. Revenge
is clearly not an acceptable reason to go to war under the
Christian doctrine. And it must be emphasized that there is no evi
dence of an Iraqi connection to Sept. 11. Therefore, attacking Iraq
as payback for the terrorist attacks on America is morally and log
ically wrong.
As a follower of Christ, Bush knows that Jesus calls on
Christians to make peace and not war. Only the president knows
how he reconciles the tenets of his faith with the current war in
Iraq he’s leading.
Meanwhile, for those of all religious backgrounds who believe
the war is unjustified, there is not much to be done now that it is
underway, except to pray for the heroic servicemen and women
fighting it and the innocent people who will suffer needlessly
because of it.
Collins Ezeanyim is a senior
computer engineering major.
Resolution 1441? There is no international law stating that a coun
try cannot attack another. If that was the case, then when Iraq
invaded Kuwait, it too violated international law because there sure
wasn't any provocation there. I truly cannot believe you feel the way
you do when it comes to Iraq violating the Geneva Convention.
Maybe we should show no regard for life and human decency
much like they did. How can you not feel sorrow for those
Americans who are just following orders and are murdered for it?
Yes, we are at war, but at the same time, we are causing as little
bloodshed as possible. I wish the same could be said for Iraq.
Josh Canuteson
Class of 2005