From: Kevin Freels (megaquark@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Sep 08 2003 - 11:39:46 MDT
>
>
> On Sat, 6 Sep 2003, Kevin Freels wrote:
>
> > Two things I have never been able to get past were smoking and diet. For
> > some reason, I have always thought that technology would keep me alive
> > regardless of how I treated my body.
>
> Unless you have concrete knowledge with regard to the genetics of your
> variants with respect to DNA repair and toxic substance disposal genes
> this is *not* a good strategy [i.e. assuming that technology will save
> you] (at least with respect to smoking). I strongly suspect genetic
knowledge
> is also essential for dealing with diet -- just this week they reported
that
> people who tended to be overweight produced less of one of the hormonal
signals
> in the intestine that indicated that one was "full". So both damage
caused
> by smoking and obesity management have very strong genetic components.
> Best strategy is to assume you have a bad set of genes. Otherwise, its
> like Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) said "Well, do you feel lucky?" -- best
to
> assume one is not.
>
I am right at my "ideal" body weight, but I expect to put on a few pounds
while I adjust to being a non-smoker. I'm also only 5'3" so I am a good
candidate for a Mars mission :-)
Until recently I had been of the opinion that cancer cause smoking, not the
other way around. I figured that a few mutated DNA sequences were
responsible for cancer, and addiction. (Have you ever met an alcoholic
non-smoker?)
Anyways, I was living based on a hypothesis that I had created without
adequate knowledge that could justify smoking. Just like any other junky.
Now I know it was the nicotine talking.
With my diet, I love pizza, McDonald's, and any other fast-food. I rarely
eat "normal" meals. I used to eat 3 peanut butter sandwiches per day. Yet my
body weight has never been below or above average. I have maintained the
same 135-140 pounds for the ;ast 15 years. I am inexcusably healthy. I am
sick no more than pnce per year and I fight it off quickly. I have a few
allergies, but not many. Everyone in my family smokes. My great-grandmother
died at 96 a few years ago. My grandparents are all deceased, but 2 died
from alcoholism, one an accident, one complications from radiation exposure
in WW2 in Nagasaki.
But i don;t want to take the chances any further than I need to. Thanks for
your help!
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