9 Science Facts That Will Ruin Your Day

3. You're Fat Because You're Fat, Not Because Of Your Genes

People will often blame their genes if they find that they're struggling to lose weight.

However, whilst it's true that DNA can be a good predictor of a person's weight, and explain a small percentage of variation in BMI, we tend to massively abuse this principle to make ourselves feel better about skipping zumba.

Genetics change very slowly, so rapid spike in obesity over the last 30 years or so indicates that it is much more likely to be due to environmental factors at play - such as the availability of calorie-dense foods and decline in daily physical activity.

Another problem with the "it's my genes" claim is that people don't understand which bit the genes are altering. Generally speaking, your genes will make you less able to resist temptation or more likely to develop a food addiction, but they won't make you fat. Metabolism varies from person to person but, over the general population, people who eat the same diet and do the same exercise will be about the same size.

For a person with genetic disposition to obesity, the trappings of modern life might be more difficult to overcome, but ultimately your weight is by no means decided for you.

Sorry. Best get to the gym.