Think Inches, Not Pounds

Continued...

The ability to lose weight varies greatly from person to person. In theory each of us has our own set point - the genetically determined weight our body attempts to maintain. When we overeat, the body increases its metabolic rate to decrease storage of calories. When we're starved, our metabolic rate decreases to conserve energy and store fat.

Even the location where we store body fat is genetically determined. Men tend to deposit fat around the waist (love handles), whereas women tend to deposit fat in the thighs and buttocks. Thigh fat is the most difficult fat to remove because the fat-mobilizing hormone is less active in that area.

Although exercising a specific part of your body doesn't help remove fat from that area, it will help develop and define the muscle. The only way to remove the fat is to lower your overall percentage of body fat through judicious exercise and a healthy approach to nutrition.

Ultimately we seem to have less control over weight and body fat content than previously thought, so we shouldn't feel guilty or unduly frustrated by our rate of progress. At the same time, it's encouraging to know that through aerobic exercise and resistance training, we can make major changes in our bodies.

| 1 | 2 | 3 | Previous

About the authors: Carol L. Otis, M.D., is Chief Medical Advisor to the Sanex WTA and UCLA student health physician. Roger Goldingay is a former professional soccer player. They are married and the co-authors of The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide.

Order Now!

Table of Contents

Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
Shape Magazine

General Health
Nutrition
Exercise
Common Medical Problems
Dental Health
Emergency!
Infectious Disease
Sexual Health
Emotional Well-Being
Eating Disorders
Alcohol & Other Drugs
Environmental Health
Prevention