It turns out you might have a thing or two to learn about fat – read on to find out more.

Having a Curry Could Actually Prevent Obesity

Common curry spice turmeric could have a role to play in reducing fat, plus stocking up on turmeric makes you less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes – probably because of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant ingredient in turmeric.

In a recent study, scientists found that turmeric reduces fat tissue, and that eating turmeric on a regular basis leads to significant weightloss, even when eating the same amount or even more calories. Find out more Here.

Your Fat Could Be Making You Fatter!

That extra spare tyre around your stomach could be making you hungrier. That’s because stomach fat produces a potent hunger hormone, sending you signals that you are constantly hungry.

Researchers from Canada’s University of Western Ontario say it could lead to a vicious cycle, where your stomach fat produces the hunger hormone that causes you to eat more and therefore gain more fat around your middle, producing even more hunger signals!

Being overweight, regardless of where the fat is located, is unhealthy. But stomach fat and having an apple body shape is especially dangerous. Stomach fat increases your risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and many cancers. To find out more, Click Here.

Feeling Guilty Won’t Help You Lose Weight

It turns out people who feel constantly guilty about their fat don’t lose weight – but people who focus on the positive steps they can take to exercise more do actually lose more weight.

It all comes down to “directed thinking” – meaning that concentrating on taking action (for example thinking up all the ways you could increase your exercise levels, such as taking the stairs) rather than dwelling on negative thoughts (thinking about why you should lose weight, for example ‘I’m too fat’) will make you more successful at increasing your fitness levels and losing weight.

It shows that you can literally think your own way out of your unhealthy lifestyle and onto the path towards better physical fitness. To find out more, Click Here.

New Weightloss Wishlist: An Implant to Block Hunger

Scientists have developed a new, less extreme alternative to gastric band surgery that could be the answer for people who simply can’t lose their unhealthy excess baggage.

Unlike extreme gastric procedures like "banding" - placing a band around the top part of the stomach to reduce its capacity - or bypass procedures which reroute food and remove part of the stomach – the new device is a simple chip that is implanted in the stomach and blocks the feeling of being hungry.

Similar to a heart pacemaker, it blocks the nerve impulses between the brain and the stomach and pancreas, so you don’t feel hungry – and unlike banding and bypass surgery, it doesn’t cause food intolerances, nausea or vomiting.

Thinking You Are Fat is Worse Than Being Fat

Scientists have found that people who think they are too fat have a lower quality of life, whatever their actual weight – particularly among women. On the other hand, if they consider their weight "just right," their quality of life is the same as if they were of normal weight, even if this is not true.

The researchers say that the proportion of teenagers who think they are overweight has been increasing even more rapidly in recent years than the proportion of those who really are overweight. To find out more, Click Here.

Your Lack of Will Power Could Be in the Genes

It seems that for many, eating more may not be a sign of greediness. Some unlucky people have a certain gene that’s linked to obesity – they tend to eat more and it may be a lot more difficult for them to resist overeating.

One recent study by researchers from the University of Aberdeen found that people with the obesity gene eat up to 290 extra calories a day. That’s because the gene messes with the brain’s regulation of food intake and literally drives people to consume more food and get fatter.

And unfortunately, because this overeating is in the genes, it may be far harder to control food intake. To read more, Click Here.

Stress Really Can Make You Fat

Looks like there’s a real scientific reason why stressed people tend to overeat.

It’s due to a “hunger hormone” the body release when stressed or anxious. It makes you feel better – but also hungry, and a side effect is increased food intake and body weight.

Scientists say it could even be relevant when tackling eating disorders like anorexia nervosa – since among anorexics, calorie restriction and weight loss could be having an antidepressant effect and could be reinforcing the illness. Read more Here.

Men are Better Than Women at Dieting

Surprisingly, research shows men lose on average 23% more than women during the first 12 weeks of dieting.

It’s not just down to willpower though – men have more muscle than women do, so they burn calories faster. This means they see results quicker, which gives them extra motivation. And, say researchers from Slimming World, men feel less social pressure than women feel and have fewer negative feelings about previous diets they may have tried.

A scary fact: today’s average man weighs nearly 2 stone more than he did 25 years ago and there are more overweight and obese men (65%) than women (56%) in England. Find out more Here.

Obesity is Linked to Depression

People who are obese are more likely to become depressed, possibly because they feel themselves to be in poor health and are dissatisfied with their appearance. But at the same time, people who are already depressed may be more likely to become obese because of real physical changes in their hormones and immune systems that occur during depression.

And depressed people have more difficulty taking good care of themselves because of symptoms of depression, such as difficulty keeping to fitness regiments, overeating, and having negative thoughts.

There is good news though: treatments like exercise and stress management can help to manage both obesity and depression at the same time, say US scientists. Avoid dieting and antidepressants though if you’re struggling with both obesity and depression at the same time – dieting worsens depression and mood swings, while antidepressants can cause weight gain.

To find out more about depression, the symptoms of depression, causes and treatment options, Click Here.

Obesity Could Cause Alzheimer’s Disease

Being obese or too underweight could increase your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease by a massive 80%, so maintaining a healthy weight now could help you prevent Alzheimer’s in the future, according to US researchers.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the biggest causes of disability in later life, ahead of heart disease, strokes and most types of cancer, and there is no cure.

The Alzheimer’s Society says that maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, exercising, not smoking and checking your blood pressure and cholesterol are all important ways to reduce your risk of developing dementia.

For more information on Alzheimer’s Disease, Click Here.

Crash Dieting Shortens Your Lifespan

Following an eating pattern of repeatedly binge eating followed by dieting could reduce your lifespan by a massive 25%.

That’s according to researchers from the University of Glasgow, who found that eating a fluctuating diet increases your chances of sudden early death – on average living just three quarters of the lifetime of someone who eats a healthy balanced diet.

Compulsive overeating, characterised by dieting and binge eating and often accompanied by guilt and self-loathing, is actually considered to be an eating disorder. To find out more, Click Here