Are You Likely to Gain Too Much Weight?
Eating too much and not exercising enough are the fundamental reasons people gain weight. But genetics, metabolism, and environmental factors explain how large your appetite is and how efficiently your body uses the food you eat.
It’s true that some of the reasons that you gain weight are beyond your control, but that doesn’t mean that you can resign yourself to life in the fat lane — slurping up soda pop and inhaling the chips while channel-surfing for your fave TV reruns. Take this quiz to uncover your risk of gaining weight:
Are you under 25 years old?
Were you an overweight child or adolescent?
Is one or both of your parents overweight?
Do you sit or relax more often than you move around?
Do you believe that eating fat-free or lowfat food means that you can eat more of it?
Do you eat out often — especially at fast-food places?
Have you quit smoking in the last year?
Are you taking antidepressants or steroids?
If you’re female:
Did you start menstruating earlier than age 11?
Have you never had a child?
Do you have more than three children?
If you have had a child, did you gain the bulk of your pregnancy weight in the first trimester?
If you have had a child, did you gain more than 35 pounds during pregnancy?
A yes answer to any of these questions indicates that you may be at risk of excessive weight gain.