system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why are people with down syndrome almost always obese?

Why do we never see any jacked Down syndrome people? Do they have a genetic condition where they put on weight easier than others? If it is a genetic condition couldn't something be done to counteract the weight gain?

Hypothetically could someone with down syndrome, following an intense workout program and strict diet, ever become a bodybuilder?
gpt
Down syndrome comes with a number of less obvious physical limitations beisdes mental retardation and the characteristic facial features.  In general, they have very poor muscle tone (hypotonia), as babies they are typically floppy, and this continues to adulthood.  This doesn't necessarily preclude them becoming a body builder, but they do not start out on the same level as an unaffected person.

Heart problems are very common, as are underactive thyroids and predisposition towards certain leukemias.  Heart problems can limit their ability to work out at a high intensity, and thyroid issues can lower their metabolic rate.  Again, these are things that can be managed, but they still act as roadblocks.

It is not as much of an issue now, but in the past - encouraging children with Down Syndrome to exercise would not have been considered.  There were many physicians and caregivers who didn't give much consideration to their overall quality of life.  This is an attitude which is thankfully changing.