Inadequate Physical Activity May Up the Risk of Obesity; Try these Foods to Cut Down on Extra Kilos

Lack of physical activity and inefficient sleep patterns can now be a cause of obesity. According to the study presented at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) 2017, low levels of physical activity and inefficient sleep patterns may intensify the effects of genetic factors for obesity. "We wanted to find out if obesity-related genes and activity level have an interactive effect on obesity risk - if there is a 'double whammy' effect of being both at genetic risk and physically inactive beyond the additive effect of these factors," said the study's lead author Andrew Wood, a researcher at the University of Exeter Medical School.

The study made use of wrist accelerometer data and a large genetic dataset from about 85000 participants aged 40 to 70 years. The team of researchers computed a genetic risk score for each participant based on 76 common variants known to be associated with elevated risk of obesity and analysed this score in the context of accelerometer data and participants' BMIs.

The results suggested that a person of average height with 10 genetic variants associated with obesity, the genetic risk accounted for a 3.6 kilograms increase in weight among those who were less physically active, but just 2.8 kilogram among those who were more active.

While it is important to be physically active, it is equally important to add healthy foods to your daily diet. Here are some foods that you must add in order to stay fit.

1. Apples

Apples contain pectin, a substance that keeps you feeling fuller for long. Apples also take a while to eat, and end up tricking your brain into believing that you have had enough and that your stomach is full.

2. Oatmeal

Oatmeal absorbs a lot of water, and is loaded with fiber, both of which make it an excellent source to lose weight. So start your day with a bowlful of oatmeal without having to think of adding on calories.

3. Eggs

Eggs are not just a great way to add up proteins in your diet, but also is a low calorie food that ensures you can eat at least two eggs a day without adding on to many calories.

4. Mushrooms

Mushrooms add lesser calories, so you can include them in your diet every single day. Most of their weight is water weight, hence, do not worry about the amount of calories going in your body.

Inputs from IANS