[Janet]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

I think it's both, genetics and environment. Genetics affects our metabolism to some extent. I was much like Judy. I ate and ate and did not gain significant weight. People envied me. However, later in life, my metabolism must have slowed down, because if I ate like I used to, I'd be really large.

People used to get outside more, and I do blame television and video games along with the food choices for much of the obesity today. In much of Europe, people walk everywhere they go. In Germany, I saw men in the 60's and 70's out in the country riding their bicycles to get from place to place. People in the cities like Rome and Florence walk everywhere they go, or hop on scooters. They eat healthier foods for the most part and move a lot more than we do and you seldom see an obese person. People could just look at us and see that we were Americans. It was actually a little embarassing. I was slimmer, then, but my family was not. We're all at least a little overweight. Now England was a different story. Their diet and exercise levels are much like ours. Diet may even be a little worse. (Sorry ladies in the UK, from my observation, this is true. Diet and weight loss issues were all over their news, too.)

We've got to get up out of our chairs and get moving!!!!

And don't forget computers!!! If I could just stay off this darn thing, I really believe I could be so much thinner!