Weird Things That Make You Fat, And Odd Tricks That Keep You Thin

We have something of a national preoccupation with things that make us fat without us even realising it.

Even though what's actually making us one of the most obese nations on earth is pretty obvious - eating too much, moving to little - we're still hoping to discover the one tiny, easily changeable lifestyle choice that will help us drop the excess instantly and effortlessly.

A quick search and you discover marriage makes you fat, as does your iPad, as does dieting, as does Diet Coke, as does racism. And the latest in the list is your curtains.

Yes, your curtains can make you fat. In light of this we've discovered more of the weirdest things that affect your weight.

What's making you fat?

1. Curtains

Studies have found that if your curtains let in too much light, you could be upping your chance of obesity. Light exposure at night has been found to affect your hormones and metabolism and those who experience the most light during the night had higher BMIs and bigger waistlines. Black out blinds all the way.

2. Air conditioning

As the summer rolls round it can be tempting to turn on the air con and bask in the coolness, but this makes your body lazy. It doesn't have to regulate its own temperature, which uses calories up as it cools us down or heats us up, so living in a constantly temperature-controlled world is contributing to our fat problem.

3. Having your tonsils out

Children who have their tonsils out are 40 per cent more likely to be overweight when they grow up than their peers who did not have them removed. We're not entirely sure why this happens but experts suggest it could be to do with the lingering effects of tonsillectomies on taste nerves and eating habits.

4. Too much cardio

At first this doesn't seem to make sense. Doing loads of exercise should mean you can eat what you want and stay trim and healthy, right? Not exactly. Studies have found that long, slow exercise can actually make your body store more fat, not less. And long workouts make you hungry, meaning you're more likely to eat afterwards and but the calories you've burned back in.

Instead try short, high intensity workouts, which are best for fat burning, combined with weight training to turn on your muscles and speed up your metabolism.

5. Multi-tasking

Doing lots of things at once, getting everything done and being hyper functional (in our minds at least!) is bad for your waistline. Not only are experts questioning whether multi-tasking even exists (is it instead task-switching?), but trying to do a hundred things at once leads to mental overload and reduces our willpower to resist fattening or sugary foods. The same research also showed that multi-tasking led to emotional outbursts, because our brains are depleted.

6. Photographing your food

Food porn is all over your phone now. Instagram is awash with elegantly-shot salads, smoothies and massive hunks of delicious cake. But while we might think this appreciation of food proves we're not obsessing over it, experts have warned that this behaviour can be the beginning of a problematic relationship with food. And while some people, including Nigella Lawson, tweet pics of their food to keep on track with their weight loss, it could actually have the opposite effect.

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Tricks for Slimming

1. Prunes

They might be sugary fruits that we've recently been told to avoid, but two handfuls of prunes a day has been found to help people lose weight. They seem to be an appetite suppressant and help people feel fuller for longer. But remember they are touted as constipation cure, so start with small portions and work your way up to avoid an upset stomach.

2. Brushing your teeth

The minty flavour of toothpaste signals to your brain that eating is over, so if you can't stop picking after dinner, brush your teeth earlier to give your brain the message.

3. A blue (or green) kitchen

The colours blue and green act as an appetite suppressant so are ideal to paint your kitchen with. If you're really keen, eat off a blue plate too, as studies have found that people who do eat less.

4. Sparkling water

Having a glass of fizz (not Champers, sorry) before meals can help you eat less as the bubbles trick you into believing you're fuller faster.

5. Be boring

It's not the most fun advice but those people who eat a boring diet, where they know exactly what they're having when tend to be thinner than those who go for bigger variety. That said, a wide variety of fruit and vegetables is key to getting all your nutrients, so don't scrimp on them.

6. An apple starter

Having an apple before lunch and dinner has been found to help people lose weight. Despite the additional calories, it gives you a source of fibre which aids digestion and helps keep blood sugar level stable as your body digests the rest of your meal.

The key rule is still eat less and move more, but remove or add in a few of these tricks and you could be giving yourself a weight loss leg up.