Does obesity or just a tendency toward weight gain run in your family? You may be predisposed to weight gain as you age, but, you don't have to welcome the pounds.
Healthy eating is a big part, but researchers in England have huge news: daily, moderate exercise can zap those "fat genes." British researchers studied 12 genetic variants that increase the risk of obesity. After reviewing data from more than 20,000 people, they say that people can blast those so-called "fat-genes" by simply exercising moderately everyday.
And no, you don't have to run a marathon. You don't even have to run! Just get active, and get your heart rate up–by walking, biking, you name it–for 30 minutes per day. Do that, and you can reduce your risk of packing on pounds as you age by as much as 40 percent.
"Our findings challenge the popular myth that obesity is unavoidable if it runs in the family," says senior researcher Ruth Loos of Great Britain's Medical Research Council in Cambridge. "We see this as a hopeful message."
Are you getting 30 minutes of exercise per day?
