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The weight of many people is a family trait; both smallish looking ones and the fat looking ones. Therefore, anyone who attributes their level of fatness to family links is not telling a lie.

The only challenge is that in some people, the excess weight brings along other sicknesses. Also, excess weight causes lots of discomforts; for example, sores between the thighs, knee pains, back pains, excessive tiredness, among others. There are also those whose fatness causes them no problems at all. Again, we come across a lot of people who are not fat but have all the bad health problems and complications.

It is, therefore, alright to say that equating peoples’ weight with their sickness status can be an exercise in futility. It is, however, not a bad call to make in saying that excess weight or excess fatness levels do predispose humans to certain bad diseases; a reason why losing weight may be necessary.

Weight, whether gifted by family genes or acquired through overeating and reduced levels of physical activity can be lost, albeit to a level that guarantees good health and reduced risk of the onset of diabetes et al.

Those who believe that theirs is as a result of the big bones they inherited from the parents and so give up on engaging in any efforts that may help them lose weight are humbly advised to desist from such beliefs. You cannot lose the big bones through weight loss efforts but you can lose some of the fat around the bones which will give you some health benefits.

Sometimes being fat runs in some families because bad eating habits are passed down from generation to generation. The way one is fed as a child has a telling effect on the kinds of foods he or she likes as an adult. This likes and dislikes get passed unto their children and it goes on and on.

This means that once the bad and fattening eating habits are passed on from generation to generation, fatness will remain within the family tree. This is not caused by gene but lifestyle.

Parents are, therefore, encouraged to choose healthy cooking methods; this way, generations yet unborn are affected in a positive way.

If both parents are already fat, the efforts they make to lose weight will be learnt by their fat children. Charity, they say, begins at home.

Same can be said of the way such parents handle their meals as well. Boiling, baking, grilling, steaming and roasting should be the preferred cooking methods in such homes. Frying should be banned. Vegetables intake should be a major activity in such homes. Late night intake of starchy, fatty and high caloric foods should not be entertained in such homes.

Parents who are fat should start offering assistance to their children right from the time they first notice the expression of fatness in those children. This is because when it comes to weight management, the earlier work starts, the better.

When you exercise, your children also get to learn the habit. So in a nutshell, parents are encouraged to lead the way so that their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren can become healthy living champions.

Read more at www.letsabooks.com
The writer is a DIETICIAN at the Trust Hospital and AUTHOR of the following books:
1. Be your own dietician – Vol. 1
2. Eating to prevent and manage lifestyle diseases.
3. LIVE LONG by eating well – Vol. 1
Contact 0244090262 for copies. Also you can download my books from the Google Play Store.