Our Social popularity, Genes and our habits

Does your destiny affect how popular you are in a group? Well, scientists think so. Nicholas Christakis of the Harvard University, who led the team, says that a person’s place in a network or a group depends on his/her genes. Two things seem to take precedence – Genes and Upbringing. Heck, it seems that even before a person is born one a person is destined his/her place in his school and college and indeed entire social life!

I had read somewhere that what parents do and eat does end up changing the genes inherited by the kids (can’t find the link now). So, I guess we are in some way creating the futures of our kids – as to what they eat, how they behave and how they are perceived. Link between habits and genes has been thought to be existing only one way – like an open loop. It has not been realized by many that even the habits of a person could affect the genes of that person.. a closed loop, as it were. If this were to be true then we are very much in charge of our destinies and future.

What is your view on how habits affect the genes? Have you seen it happen anywhere?