Do you ever wonder why most old couples look alike? They look alike, they dress alike, they even talk and behave a like. Couples in a good relationship tend to mimic each other’s facial expressions and behaviours. Over time, these couples start to look alike as the body adapts. That’s a sign of a strong and stable relationship!

People tend to stick with other people who are very similar to them. There is a natural feeling of safety and belonging with like-minded individuals. The thinking here is the same as for old couples. Stick with a group for a long enough time and you will feel and act like part of that group.

For people looking to lose weight, it can be very beneficial to surround yourself with slim people. Studies conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine show spouses are likelier to be obese if their other half is obese as well. Similarly, it is likelier they will be slim if their partners are slim.

This is only natural. It is human nature to conform to our surroundings. If you are an overweight person surrounded by slim people, you will feel motivated (or perhaps ashamed) to lose weight to fit in with the group.

This is not always the case, though. There are times when an overweight spouse loses a big amount of weight. Suddenly, the partner feels jealous at all the positive attention the spouse is getting. Don’t fall for that trap.

The difference lies in harnessing motivation and putting it to good use. In some cases, the other person might feel alienated or jealous. This can trigger bouts of depression, or sometimes, turning to comfort food for support. Take a page out of the reformed spouse’s handbook and lose some of that weight yourself. Then both of you can garner that positive attention!

Strength in numbers. Joining a weight watchers club can have numerous benefits. When you share a common goal with other people, it is easier for you to support each other. That alone can push you to work harder at losing that weight. Having a personal trainer can also work wonders. Hearing someone else egg you on to do one more pushup makes you work that much harder.

There is a theory that men ascribe to when it comes to women. If they ever wonder about what the woman they are with will look like in the future as she ages, they will take a look at her mother. In 20-30 years time, that provides a good approximation of what she will look like.

There is a saying, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” This idea, like the theory mentioned above, is grounded in genetics. Genetics deals with inheritance, more specifically, the traits that people inherit from their mothers and fathers through DNA encoding.

Scientists have discovered a gene in lab mice that they have referred to as the “fatso gene”. They noticed that the heavier mice had this particular gene while others did not.

More recently, scientists have found in the human genome a similar phenomenon. Certain people have these “fatso genes”. A person with two of these genes is likelier to be obese and have diabetes. A person with one of these genes is, on average, heavier, as well.

Scientists estimate that about 16% of the world’s population has 2 copies of the “fatso gene”, while roughly 50% have one.

Another factor that can influence weight is the number of fat cells in the body. Studies have shown that some people have twice as much fat cells compared to other test subjects.

Fat cells are usually generated during childhood and end during adolescence. However, some people start generating these fat cells as early as age 2.

While this means that some people are genetically predisposed to being a bit on the heavier side, it doesn’t mean that they are helpless to combat it. Regular exercise becomes that much more important for people that have a history of obesity in the family.

Having more fat cells is also not as disadvantageous as you might think. It is better to have a lot of them rather than letting a few fat cells become overstuffed, and consequently enlarged. This makes it likelier for that person to develop weight complications.

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Have you ever wondered why there are just some people who can eat whatever they want whenever they want yet still remain very slim? The secret lies in their metabolism.

Our body derives energy from the food that we eat. Whenever we eat something, the body’s chemical reactions converts the food into energy that we can use. That reaction is something we call metabolism.

The metabolic rate refers to the speed in which metabolism occurs. People with higher metabolisms are able to burn fat faster. Which probably explains why some people can get away with eating heavily – they have a very fast metabolism.

Not everyone has the same kind of metabolism. The metabolic rate can be influenced by a variety of factors such as physical makeup and behavior. This rate also decreases with the passage of time – as we get older, our metabolism decreases.

Another factor is the amount of lean body mass. Metabolism decreases as you lose lean body mass. Conversely, increasing muscle mass will speed up the metabolic rate. You can increase muscle mass by doing anaerobic exercises. An example of anaerobic exercise, as opposed to aerobic exercise, is lifting weights. It will increase your muscle mass, and consequently, increase your metabolic rate.

A Scandinavian research team at Helsinki University Central Hospital experimented on a set of twins. One of the twins was thin, and the other one was fat. A study done at the cellular level reveals that the fat cells in the heavier twin caused a change in his metabolic rate – it made it more difficult for his body to burn fat!

What this research shows is that gaining weight can lead to a downward spiral, wherein additional weight gained influences your body to make it likelier that you will gain weight. This means that it is imperative to stay on top of things by doing a lot of physical activites in order to avoid this pitfall.

The important thing to remember is that you can change our metabolism. It will take constant exercise, but the results in the form of improved weight management are very rewarding.