If you can't get off the couch or don't have the willpower to turn away that second helping your brain may be partly to blame! The newest theory may not surprise you that some people may actually be hard wired to burn less energy.
Research in rats at the University of Minnesota show the animals bred to be obese not only moved less than their leaner counterparts but they were actually less sensitive to a brain chemical that triggers movement and fidgety behavior. Researchers say that suggests that there may be a biological basis for the couch potato behavior. So what can you do about that?
"There are no quick fixes," said Martin Binks Duke Diet Center.
"Bottom line it's calories in calories burned," said Rhea Laws of Wants to Get Fit.
Whether or not the brain is to blame, researchers say there is increasing evidence that activity is critical in fighting fat and that lean people have a built-in advantage because on average, they are hard-wired for about two hours of general movement every day than those who are obese.