[The following is an exact transcript of this podcast.]

If you want to lose weight—really lose it and keep it off—look around your house. How many TV sets are there? And is there an exercise bike or any other similar equipment? The answers could predict the success of your weight loss quest, according to a report in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

In the study, scientists surveyed 167 people who managed to lose 10 percent of their body weight and keep it off for five years. They compared them to two other groups whose dieting was not so successful. And they found that the slenderized subjects, in addition to having fewer high-fat foods in the house, also had fewer TV sets and more exercise equipment. These people were more likely to work out, more careful about calories and less likely to sit for hours in front of the tube.

The results pretty much corroborate common sense. If you want to shed a few pounds, don’t fill your cupboard with cupcakes. Instead fill your living space with things that will make you more likely, not less likely, to actually move. Things like a treadmill or a stationary cycle. Or a key. That you can use to lock the door and go out for a nice walk.

—Karen Hopkin

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