TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
What Did Your Mom Give You?
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: May 10, 2008
This Mother's Day, look at the gifts that special lady gave your DNA.
Your body, in part, is a testament to the woman who gave birth to you. Some days you thank your lucky stars. Other times, you worry about facing maladies similar to those she faced.
The fact is, Mom's genetics, disposition and style of parenting do play a significant role, as do dear old Dad's. But there are plenty of other factors under your control. Here are some facts about Mommy Dearest to put it all in context:
HAIR: If you're a guy and have a head full of hair, credit Mom. Male pattern baldness is a sex-linked characteristic passed from mother to child, according to the National Library of Medicine. A man can best predict his chances by looking at men on his mother's side of the family.
EYE COLOR: Mom and Dad donated one characteristic each to every gene in your body. Those characteristics, which can be dominant or recessive, are behind your baby blue eyes or curly blond hair. If both parents carry similar traits, it's likely a baby will get them, too.
MENTAL ILLNESS: The prevalence of mental illness in a family does not prove the heredity of mental illness, according to the National Mental Health Information Center. Because families share genes and environmental influences, there is no easy way to separate the two. That being said, children who are exposed to a parent's mental illness are likely to be more at risk for problems. For example, a 2005 study of depressed mothers found that their children had significantly higher levels of antisocial behavior.
HEART DISEASE: Heart disease anywhere in your family is a huge red flag. "Just as you can't control your age, sex and race, you can't control your family history," according to the American Heart Association.
BREAST CANCER: About 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are thought to be linked to a parent's genetic makeup, according to the American Cancer Society. As some tumor-suppressor genes linked to breast cancer have been identified, some women can undergo genetic testing to see whether they need to take steps to find or combat cancer at an earlier stage.
OVARIAN CANCER: Although reproductive, demographic and lifestyle factors are important, "the single greatest risk factor is family history of the disease," according to the National Cancer Institute. A parent's genetic predisposition increases the risk to 50 percent.
BODY SHAPE AND WEIGHT: Your apple or pear body shape that came from Mom may provide clues about your risk for obesity, researchers of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston said in 2006. They found links between genes and body fat inside the abdomen versus under the skin. But don't think it's just one gene that's to blame. This year, researchers at Philadelphia's Monell Center found that more than 6,000 genes - or 25 percent of your body total - contribute to a person's weight.
HEIGHT: This is closely linked to parents, researchers at Germany's Institute for Demographic Research told The New York Times. Compare your parents' height with the current average, and that will almost certainly explain your adult height.
LONGEVITY: Mom has little to do with how long you'll be here on Earth. Extensive studies involving families with twins shows parental life spans may affect as little as 3 percent of your longevity. And if you're playing the averages, the National Center for Health Statistics says men today die at 68.5 years, women at 76.1 years.
ALZHEIMER'S: A mom with Alzheimer's disease appears to be a bigger risk factor than having a father afflicted with the mysterious brain disorder, researchers at New York University School of Medicine found late last year. The study found that individuals with an afflicted mother had a more reduced brain metabolism than others.
DIABETES: Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have strong hereditary ties, but genes are not enough, the American Diabetes Association says. You still need environmental triggers, such as a fat-and-carbohydrate-rich diet that can lead to obesity.
OSTEOPOROSIS: Does either of your parents have a history of broken bones? Has either parent shrunk in stature or had a spine that curves forward? The National Osteoporosis Foundation says that if the answer is yes, you're likely to have a problem, too.
MORE HELP
CDC family history web site
www.cdc.gov/genomics/public/famhist.htm
U.S. Surgeon General Family History Initiative
National Society for Genetic Counselors
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details