Fat runs in families. Genes do play a role, but the psychological factors — emotions, traditions, and expectations — that govern every household are every bit as intricate, and just as powerful, as DNA.
Weight loss experts have long known this; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers report that most women pack on almost 25 pounds during the first five years of marriage; men typically gain 30. And the likelihood of overweight parents having heavy children is well documented.
The contestants on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser: Families” are living proof. At the start of the season, mom-and-daughter team Renee Wilson and Michelle Aguilar had a combined weight of 509 pounds; Vicky Vilcan and husband Brady together tipped the scales at more than 580 pounds.
Transforming the patterns that keep families like these overweight isn’t easy, says Michael Lowe, PhD, a psychology professor at Drexel University. But to lose weight, change is essential. Here, our experts help contestants on “The Biggest Loser: Families” identify the dynamics that feed unhealthy habits and offer strategies to break the cycle when they get back home. Their advice can get you and your loved ones on a healthy path for life, too.
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