You are not hard wired to be fat...at least not if you don't want to be.
That's the finding of a new British study that concluded people with "fat" genes can exercise and lose up to 40 percent of the extra weight that those genes can add to their body weight.
In other words, regular exercise can help off set the added weight that some people might put on due to their genetics.
"Our research proves that even those who have the highest risk of obesity from their genes can improve their health by taking some form of daily physical activity," said Dr Ruth Loos who lead the study. "
"People don’t have to run marathons to make a difference either - walking the dog or working in the garden all counts. It goes to show we’re not complete slaves to our genetic make-up and really can make a big difference to our future health by changing our behaviour. It goes to show we’re not complete slaves to our genetic make-up and really can make a big difference to our future health by changing our behaviour," she added.
Researchers followed over 20,000 men and women aged 39 to 79, looking for 12 genetic markers known to increase body mass index (BMI) and the risk of obesity according to the British newspaper the Telegraph.
They concluded: "The findings challenge the popular myth that obesity is unavoidable if it runs in the family and could guide future treatments to combat the obesity crisis."
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