The skinny on fatness

By now, most Americans are aware that the combination of eating too much (especially too much junk food) and exercising too little can cause one to become dangerously overweight. As AlterNet puts it, “[a] third of the U.S. population is now overweight, making it just a matter of time before normal size people are actually in the minority.”

Maybe something can be done about this alarming trend toward obesity, especially if people are apprised of other factors that may contribute to it. Here are some things to consider avoiding:

• Artificial sweeteners, such as those found in diet foods and soft drinks, which may encourage cravings for weight-adding sweets. Additionally, because these sweeteners have no caloric content, they “actually further fuel ‘food-seeking behavior.’”

• Excessive use of antibiotics may contribute to obesity. “Overuse of antibiotics could be fueling the dramatic increase in conditions such as obesity, Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies and asthma,” said microbiologist Martin Blaser.

• Taking certain antidepressant medications such as Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil, and antipsychotics like Seroquel and Risperdal, can cause a person to “pack on the pounds.”

Source: “8 Surprising Things That May Be Making Americans Fat”; go to www.alternet.org to read the whole article.