Last Updated on 10 years by Publishing Team

I’ve heard obesity runs in families, so isn’t it my parents fault I’m overweight?
It’s true that some people are more likely to gain and store weight more easily than others due to their family genes, however, our genes don’t have to become our destiny.

There are plenty of lifestyle changes we can make to prevent this weight gain from happening. Choosing a healthy diet, staying active and avoiding soft drinks (which can actually alter our genes!) can help you and your family overcome obesity. For mothers, and women planning on becoming mothers it’s especially important to keep a healthy diet as our diet at the time of conception impacts on the genes and health traits your children inherit.

How important is getting enough sleep in keeping me a healthy weight?
Very important! Research has found that people getting fewer than 5 hours sleep a night were 15% more likely to be obese than people who got over 7 hours. There’s many reasons sleep deprivation can cause weight gain. For example when we are tired we’re less likely to exercise, and more likely to seek energy from food leading to more snacks and bigger meals.

What’s a good way to get a kick-start to a healthy weight and lifestyle?
Try the three-step wellness challenge! Challenging you to eat two servings of fruit, three servings of vegetables and being active for 30 minutes every day. Following this challenge people right here in Fiji have lost over 20kg!