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How everyday habits can make you fat
Trying to shed pounds? Surprise! From staying up late to not washing your hands, your everyday habits could be making you fat.
By Lisa Murphy
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You work out religiously -- or at least when the spirit moves you. You consider trans fats and soda to be pure evil. Yet, you're still struggling to maintain a healthy weight. What gives? Well, scientists say that simply hanging out with overweight friends or not washing your hands enough can lead to excess pounds. Read on to find out how you may be unwittingly expanding your waistline.
You wash your hands -- when you remember
A virus called adenovirus-36 -- which is spread through food, saliva and touching -- may cause obesity by turning stem cells into fat cells. A recent study by Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar at the Pennington Biomedical Research Centre at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge found that rats injected with the virus gained significantly more weight than their uninfected pals despite similar food intake. In another study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and Obetech Obesity Research Center in Richmond, Va., analyzed samples of human blood infected with the virus and discovered a significant association with obesity. “Since we don't have a vaccine to prevent the virus, good hygiene practices, like washing your hands, might be a good idea [to avoid it],” says Dhurandhar.
You have fat friends
There's no need to ditch your social circle, but if your friends have gained weight, you have a greater chance of packing on the pounds too -- so consider catching up at the gym instead of over a plate of nachos. A recent study by Harvard Medical School in Boston, conducted on more than 12,000 people over 32 years, concluded that having an overweight friend, sibling or spouse increased one's risk of obesity by 37 to 57 percent. “There is some suggestive evidence that when people around you gain weight, it changes your idea of what an acceptable body size is,” says lead researcher Dr. Nicholas Christakis. Fight back by taking on diet and exercise challenges together.
You dress for July -- even though it's February
Your sheer silk top may be the height of fashion, but if it's not keeping you warm it could trigger cravings for calorie-rich foods. To maintain our core temperature (about 37°C), we tend to drink more liquids in summer and eat heavier foods in winter, explains Brian Wansink in his book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. Research by the University of Massachusetts Medical
School in Worcester discovered that people ate 86 more calories each day in fall than in spring, with body weight peaking in winter. According to Wansink, dressing warmly when the thermostat dips may help avoid physiological cues to overeat.
You're the ultimate carnivore
Lean meats like pork tenderloin and turkey breast are excellent sources of iron and vitamin B12, but they could also be the culprits behind sneaky weight gain. Research by Dr. Magdalena Rosell at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom indicates that, on average, women who follow a vegetarian diet weigh 4.6 pounds less than non-vegetarians. Of the 21,996 people studied, those who gave up meat for a vegan diet gained only 30 grams each year compared to meat eaters, who gained 42 grams. (Vegetarians gained 39 grams each year.) You may not have to give up meat, says Rosell, but increasing your consumption of vegetables and whole grains can help you stay lean.
More weight-gaining habits on the next page!
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