Fight Your "Fat Gene" | Green Living Ideas

Home > Topics > Health and Fitness > Recreation and Outdoors > Fight Your “Fat Gene”

Fight Your “Fat Gene”

by Reenita Malhotra in Recreation and Outdoors

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.
Don't forget to get your copy of our free book on home water conservation.

Some of us are born with a propensity to hold more weight than others. There is a wide spectrum of beliefs when it comes to this natural propensity for so many people. Eastern medicines attribute it to “body type,” whereas Western medicine label it the “fat gene.” But either way, it does not make you overweight for life.

photo by: pugetsoundphotowalks

Daily Exercise

Remember, a propensity is not necessarily a reality. It only becomes a reality if you allow it to manifest. So do not blame your waistline…or lack thereof….on genes. You can over come a predisposition to obesity with regular activity – about three to four hours worth a day. This is according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

A recent study was conducted among the Amish people in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania who are believed to have a genetic variant that makes people more likely to gain weight. The researchers found that Amish people with the genetic variant were no more likely to be overweight than those who had the regular version of the gene — as long as they got three to four hours of moderate activity every day. That included things like brisk walking, housecleaning and gardening.

So instead of settling down to the TV for a few hours at night, take a brisk walk. Use stairs instead of elevators, walk instead of driving, or take up any kind of structured exercise: swimming, pilates, kickboxing. Once you put your mind to it, you will find that you can easily keep that fat gene under control.

Posted on May 09, 2009

Tags:

exercise, fat gene, Lancaster, natural living, obesity

About the Author

Reenita Malhotra

Reenita Malhotra Hora is an Ayurveda clinician and freelance writer. Native to Mumbai, she resides in San Francisco with her husband and two kids where she helps people to achieve their wellness goals. Reenita writes for a variety of sustainability media including Green Options, Green Living Ideas, National Geographic Kids, SustainLane and more. Check out her wisdom at www.reenita.com.