Shape Magazine
Facts about Fat
Nevertheless, for some people, weight is especially difficult to control. The classic evidence: a Canadian study of twins published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Twelve sets of identical male twins were fed an extra 1,000 calories per day six days a week. After 100 days, each subject had consumed enough extra calories to gain 24 pounds (it takes approximately 3,500 calories to gain 1pound). But some men in the study gained only 9.5 pounds whereas others gained 29 pounds. The difference in weight gain between the various twin pairs was three times greater than the average difference within the pairs. The location of the extra fat deposited also was similar within the pairs but varied greatly between pairs. Clearly, genetics counts for a lot.
"We would expect that calories are calories are calories," says Paul Ribisl, Ph.D., chairman of the health and exercise science department at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. "But that's really not the case." The reasons are many. For example, some people fidget more than others (thus burning more calories), and some people's bodies have a higher metabolism, which means they end up hanging on to fewer of the calories they eat.
Still, experts say, regardless of the genetic cards you are dealt in life, your store of deep abdominal fat is a matter of lifestyle too. So make sure you hit the gym regularly, control your stress levels, and eat a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
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