Genes are probably the dominant cause of your obesity if you have most or all of the following characteristics:
* You have been overweight for much of your life.
* One or both of your parents or several other blood relatives are overweight.
* You can't lose weight even when you increase your physical activity and stick to a low-calorie diet for many months.
If these factors are true, you are likely to have a strong genetic predisposition to be overweight or obese. If both of your parents have obesity, your likelihood of developing obesity is as high as 80 percent.
You have a lower genetic predisposition toward obesity if the following characteristics and experiences apply to you:
* You are moderately overweight, but you can lose weight when you diet and exercise.
* You regain lost weight during the holiday season, after changing your eating or exercise habits, or at times when you experience problems.
* You are strongly influenced by the availability of food in your local environment.
These circumstances suggest that you have a genetic predisposition to be heavy, but it's not so great that you can't overcome it with some effort.
At the other end of the spectrum, you can assume that your genetic predisposition to obesity is minimal if your weight is normal and doesn't increase even when you indulge in high-calorie foods regularly and rarely exercise.
Though this description is not precise, it may help you better understand why you are overweight. More important, it can suggest which weight-loss approaches might be helpful and which ones probably won't work.
Source: LHJ.com - Ladies’ Home Journal online
