If you ask a geneticist how much of the obesity epidemic is due to genetics, he or she would probably tell you 70 percent. Pose the same question to a behaviorist and you would hear that genetics only explains about 30 percent. So which is it? Yes, it is true that scientists have identified certain genes that play a role in weight regulation and appetite, but it is unlikely there is much anyone can do to manipulate those genes. Aside from starting all over and picking different parents, the genetic explanation for obesity leaves us with little opportunity for change. As a behavioral weight loss proponent, I have a problem with that. However, lifestyle factors (behavior and the environment) also play a large role in causing people to be overweight and obese. The good news is that targeting lifestyle factors can lead to improvements in the prevention and treatment of obesity.
It has been suggested that we live in a toxic environment for healthy behaviors. Automobiles, television, remote control, e-mail, moving walkways, escalators, elevators, riding lawn mowers, etc. all have contributed to decreased activity in this country. But motorized devices are only one part of the problem. Urban sprawl has led to smaller neighborhood divisions that are surrounded by major roadways lined with fast food restaurants, strip malls, few continuous sidewalks and little concern for pedestrian safety. And that's just targeting the activity part of the equation. Add to this the mass marketing of high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods via television, internet, etc., fast food on every corner, and the perception that eating healthy is expensive and time consuming, and it's no wonder we have an obesity epidemic on our hands.
However, we can't just point fingers at the outside environment. Our behavior is determined by learned responses to cues in our immediate surroundings. Is your home encouraging a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle? Do you keep food in any room besides the kitchen? Is there a snack drawer in the office or candy dish in the living room/family room? If you have exercise equipment in your home, is it buried under clothes or boxes? Identify what behaviors you may have had a hard time changing and determine if there are cues present for those behaviors. For example, do you snack while watching TV or every time you walk through the kitchen?
To overcome environmental and behavioral factors in your lifestyle, do some spring cleaning. Eliminate and reduce negative cues in your environment with positive cues.
We are influenced by our surrounding environment. That does not have to mean your environment dictates your behavior. Pay attention to what unhealthy cues you are responding to and clean house!
