Last Updated on August 13, 2020
I’ve read studies that claim genetics can explain why some people never gain weight and others end up obese. But, I’m not buying it.
It wasn’t that long ago that people were slim. It’s over the last sixty years or so that obesity rates have sky-rocketed. There is no way that we’ve had huge change in our gene pool over a few decades. The reason for the obesity epidemic lies somewhere else.
To my mind, one of the main factors that determines body weight is activity level.
People are big all around the world at the moment. 60% of adults in England are overweight. One in four adults are obese.
I think that technology plays a large part in the obesity epidemic. People have slowed down and become inactive.
People like me who remain active their whole life don’t struggle with their weight. I have brothers who aren’t very activite and they are bigger people. They also eat different food than me and spend more time on their screens.
The lifestyle change that has occurred in recent decades underlies weight gain in a lot of people.
When I’m active, I put in significant effort. If I’m in the garden and I see weeds, I’ll make sure I bend down and pick up those weeds, or pick things up. I’ll stretch, I’ll bend, I’ll move, I’ll walk. I do that every single day, and I will do for the rest of my life.
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I haven’t met any very active people who are obese. I’ve met some who are overweight, but never obese.
Once you are very large, it can be hard to increase your activity overnight. You have to give it some thought.
To me the most important factors in weight are activity versus passivity and caloric load.
Eating less calories, eating fresh, healthy food, eating smaller portion sizes, and moving your body is the recipe for losing weight.
Of course, there are exceptions. For some people, their weight is impact by an overactive or underactive thyroid. There may be medical conditions that need to be fixed up so that you can lose the weight.
Still, common sense says to me that is lack of activity and lack of understanding food quality and quantity that explains most obesity.
An activity tracker like Fitbit can encourage you to up your activity level. Increasing your activity is going to pay off in the long run. There may be some discomfort at first but you’ll benefit for years to come.
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