Dont Believe Everything You Read

     Obesity and being over weight is a bigger problem than ever in western societies and more and more people are asking why they are overweight and what they can do to combat the problem. There is nothing more frustrating than watching your mid-section increase in girth on a monthly basis especially with the creep of middle age and the development of the dreaded spare tyre.

Recent research offers some comfort for those people who are looking for someone or something to blame for their weight problem. Scientists led by Andrew Gewirtz at Emory University reveal that your intestines harbor a universe of bacteria - the so-called gut microbiota - that may play an important role in whether your body will store the food you eat as extra pounds.

Now I am not going to rubbish the work of scientists and I am sure that in some cases there are bacteria that contribute to some people gaining weight. My concern though is that people read such articles and immediately blame the bacteria for the fact that they themselves are putting on weight. Furthermore, many people will take comfort in the fact that they now have something to blame, because for them, the fact that they are getting fatter is now no longer their fault.

This offers an easy way out for people who simply refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. Face it, in the vast majority of cases where people have a problem with their weight, it is down to the lifestyle that they lead. OK I accept that there are some people who have medical conditions which contribute to the problem but I repeat, in the vast number of cases it is down to lifestyle.

The main problem with the lifestyles that many people lead today can be broken down into two areas. These are the food we eat and the amount of exercise we do. Now we can blame this on a number of factors such; as the amount of junk food available and the advertising to support it, the increase in the amount of processed food available, peer pressure from others around us or lack of time to do any exercise. But of course, finding something to blame will not help you to sort out the problem. What you really need to do is take action and develop the kind of healthy lifestyle we all used to lead years before (when we were all a lot thinner).

The thing is it can be really easy. All you need to do is follow a healthy eating plan. This does not mean going on a diet. It means eating more fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and meat instead of processed foods. It means cutting down on the take-aways, the chocolate, saturated fat and sugary drinks.

It also means doing a little exercise, now don't panic, I'm not about to suggest that you go and join a gym. The best form of exercising (especially for those new to the idea) is walking. Try getting off the bus a few stops early and walking the rest of the way to work or walking the kids to school. Next time you have a family day together, get the kids off the playstation and get them out for a walk. You never know they might even enjoy it.

The choice is yours, continue to look for something to blame for your weight problem, or take action and sort out your lifestyle (and your weight problem) once and for all.

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