As we approach a season of emphasis on food, staying on a diet or weight-loss program can seem daunting. The ever-present temptations, quantity and variety of foods, especially the carb-heavy stuffing, potatoes and pies create challenges to our waistlines. You may also feel helpless when get-togethers consist of time spent around a table schmoozing with family and friends. You may also be sitting for hours unaware that your caloric consumption has possibly been enough for two or more days. So, it’s a little reassuring that while we languish in guilt over our attempts to lose weight this time of year, recent research has emerged to validate the difficulties we have in our battle of the bulge.
A multi-national study at King’s College, London has revealed that a gene named “KLF14″ linked to Type II diabetes and cholesterol acts as a ‘master switch’ that can control the behavior of other genes throughout the body including BMI, cholesterol, insulin and glucose levels. As fat has become the focus for so many disorders ranging from obesity to heart disease and diabetes, this gene could be targeted in future treatments to curb this current medical epidemic.
Another genetic revelation came in the form of a study out of the University of Scotland at Dundee. This study which focused on children, showed how the FTO gene commonly referred to as an ‘obesity gene’ can influence one to choose more calorie-dense foods, not neccessarily a larger quantity of food. This gene is found in roughly 74% of Americans of European origin and can make someone crave 200 more calories a day over someone without this gene giving credence to the idea of some people being more prone to being over-weight.
help is on the way
However, before you throw up your hands in defeat, another study involving over 200,000 adult subjects revealed that simply increasing physical activity can alleviate the obesity-causing effects by about 33% in adults with the gene. The idea of controlling intake and increasing activity once again rings true.
So, while you enjoy a large family feast, you can focus on how to increase your activity level by remembering all the shopping and errand running that awaits you. Mall-walking and bargain-hunting takes on a whole new meaning. It’s easier to find the time by including your exercise activity in your daily routine. This takes some of the stress out of squeezing in a few hours of exercise and provides encouragement to those of us strapped for time.
a 40-minutes mall walk can burn calories.
Small things like parking the car farther out and walking a lap or two prior to shopping the box-store or mall can have favorable results. My husband lost 40 lbs in 8 months just using this method along with watching his calories. I shared in his ‘errand-running’ and enjoyed an increased endurance in the process.
Approaching this winter with an encouraged outlook towards calorie-intake and activity can fuel a more successful New Year’s weight-loss resolution. Just remember where you parked your car.
You may be aware of the recent and rather innovative green initiative the Obama administration put forward this summer: the Car Allowance Rebate System (cars), colloquially known as the Cash for Clunkers program, in which owners of old, gas guzzling cars bring their clunkers in and get a rebate on a brand new and more efficient model. The program was meant to run from July 1st through November of this year, 2009, but ran out of funding due to its popularity. Last week, $2 billion of federal incentives were added to the previously $1 billion program. 
