It’s food, not dust, that makes us fat

I THOUGHT I’d heard every excuse for obesity but this one really takes the biscuit: dust.

Yes, that’s right, according to research published this week, our nation’s expanding waistline is down to dust. So don’t bother dieting, just pass the Pledge and a cloth.

What rubbish! The scientists argue that dust can carry hormone-altering chemicals which prompt the body to accumulate fat.

In fact, there’s just one thing that makes people fat: food.

Certainly some people metabolise food at a different rate, meaning they’re more likely to lay down fat stores.

But this is a reason to eat less, not to become fat.

Even those with a genetic predisposition to fat are not slaves to their DNA.

A study published last year by the Medical Research Council’s epidemiology unit looked at the genes of more than 20,000 people and found that although some are predisposed to being overweight, an active lifestyle and a reduction in food intake can counteract this.

While some will be annoyed by this research, I find it empowering. That our lot in life is not as predetermined by genes as thought should be celebrated — even if it does mean having to take responsibility for those extra pounds.