All of us know a person who seems to stay perennially slim without putting on the natural tendency of additional pounds as they age.  These are the small percentage of people who have maintained a healthy body weight throughout their lives – in other words, they never have gained weight to begin with.  What is their secret?  What do they know or do, consciously or subconsciously, to keep slim that many of us haven’t figured out?

It appears the secrets of those who stay slim may be as simple as following healthy routines which the emphasis on the word “routine.”  Routine is key. For many, routines are a necessity to success whether in our jobs, relationships or maintaining a healthy body weight.  When healthy habits are built-in to a person’s schedule, they become second nature and feel less like a chore. 

Some people may say they were born with great genetics, and in some cases that’s true.  But to stay a consistent healthy body weight during a lifetime means they are doing something the vast majority of us are not.  This is where researchers at Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab are trying to dissect what exactly are these people doing and how can the rest of us learn from it.

Overweight to obese people have been studied for years trying to figure out why they gain weight and how to help them lose weight.  But in-depth studies on why and how naturally slim people manage to stay that way are minimal.  This is where the Global Healthy Weight Registry comes in.  This is an international group of people who have been a healthy weight their entire life.  If you fit their criteria, anyone can join the registry by answering a few questions in order to help them learn the secrets of slim people.

First, there are the obvious reasons why some naturally slim people may be ahead of the game which have little to do with their eating and lifestyle habits such as:

·      A naturally faster metabolism allowing them to burn more calories on average

·      Better appetite control

·      A healthy mix of intestinal microbes that predisposes them to slimness

Maybe you weren’t born lucky enough to have those built-in controls spurring you toward slimness. But we can control and be in charge of our eating and lifestyle habits that do make a difference.

Some of the secrets revealed that naturally slim people practice are as follows:

·      They majority eat breakfast which often includes fruits and vegetables

·      They scout out buffet tables before putting food on their plate

·      They chew gum when at the grocery store

·      The majority eat vegetables at dinner every night

·      The majority exercise most days of the week

·      74% rarely diet and 29% never do

·      They fill the candy dish on their desks with paper clips

·      They counteract a midafternoon slump by grabbing a nap instead of a snack

These are just a few of the discoveries found. When we adopt consistent healthy eating and exercise habits, our weight tends to reach a healthier range lowering the risk of chronic disease and other medical ailments.

Anyone who is interested in being a part of this research, is over the age of 18, and has been at a healthy weight all their life, can join the Global Healthy Weight Registry.  Registry members names are kept confidential – members will receive updates and insights from other members. 

Those who were overweight to obese and have lost weight and kept it off, can join another group called the National Weight Control Registry to help researchers study and gather information on people who have successfully lost weight and have kept it off.