You Are Not Your Genes
I recently released our new podcast called, *cue drum roll* Performance Complex! I am so excited to share this new form of content with you all and I look forward to your feedback. In this week’s episode, I talk nature versus nurture and the zero-sum game of fitness. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, especially as we see an increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases. According to the CDC, “Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. They are also leading drivers of the nation’s $3.5 trillion in annual health care costs.” The CDC names lifestyle choices and habits as the leading risks behaviors for these diseases. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been convinced by your family, and maybe even your doctor, that since your father, or mother, has x disease, you’re likely to have it too. Remember, we are specifically considering the chronic diseases mentioned above, excluding health problems such as asthma, allergies, and so on, as those rely more heavily on genetic factors rather than environmental ones. Nonetheless, if you’ve been told that “x runs in our blood,” I urge you to think twice. What does that really mean, and what does the evidence show? I also encourage you not only to rely on the “evidence” but to also trust your own observation and experience. After you listen to the episode, comment below “🌱” if you’re team nurture and “🧬” if you’re team nature!
Podcast Sources: Anand, Preetha et al. “Cancer is a preventable disease that requires major lifestyle changes.” Pharmaceutical research vol. 25,9 (2008): 2097-116. doi:10.1007/s11095-008-9661-9
