Some Screwed and Screwy Jewish Genetic Theories

I recently visited another blog that concerns shidduchim. One of the pieces of advice that was given on there is one I have heard many times before: Look at the girl's mother--if she is overweight the girl will turn out that way too. Don't bother with the shidduch. I always believed that biology was taught in yeshiva high schools but apparently not.

Let's examine 4 hypothetical families. In family #1 there is a daughter who is slim in build. Her mother is overweight but was slim at her marriage. Her father is overweight. Her siblings are all of normal weight.

In family #2 the daughter is of average weight. The mother is overweight. The father is of average weight. The siblings run from slim to overweight.

In family #3 the daughter is slim. The mother is slim. The father belts his pants somewhere around his hips because his waistline has expanded well into the atmosphere. The siblings run from slim to average.

In family #4 the daughter is slim. The mother is slim. The father is normal weight. The siblings are all of normal weight.

A young man has been "red" all four daughters. Which one should he choose to go out with to guarantee himself that his future wife will not become overweight?

The answer is simple: none of the daughters. Guarantees come with toaster ovens--they do not come with shidduchim.

While researchers believe they have isolated a gene that may be involved in obesity, we are years from any kind of medical intervention that will turn off the gene, or any real understanding of how the gene works. Genes are things we receive from BOTH of our parents, not just our mothers. And genetic material may be passed on for many, many generations. And yes, there are MANY reasons other than genetic ones for being overweight.

So, if a man is obsessed with the idea of his wife remaining slim for all of her life, he had better get her genetic history on both sides going back at least 7 generations, 10 if he wants to be safer. And then he had better check his own family's genetic history going back just as far. After all, the future happiness of his daughters yet to be born may depend on what his great great great great grandmother looked like after 13 children and 27 years of marriage or what his great great grandfather looked like before he got married.

And while he is at it, let him look in the mirror at himself.

Among the many gifts a choson can give his kallah and a husband can give his wife, an eating disorder and a bad case of anorexia is not one of the recommended ones.