A recent study has found that our choice to be a couch potato or to stay fit may be in some significant part based on our genes.

If our parents were active physically, we are much more likely to be born with a need for higher physical activity.

Scientists think that in the future they'll be able to prescribe specific drugs that alter the effect of these genes.

See more about this here.

'Toning' shoes have been a phenomenal retail hit in the past few months. And the shoe companies involved in selling these 'revolutionary' fitness shoes are putting out big advertising campaigns to keep the demand rolling, but are their claims of toning benefits really true?

Here's one of the many promo videos for Sketchers Shape-ups. In the video they say "Get Fit without ever going to the gym! SKECHERS Shape-ups are the fitness shoes revolutionizing the shoe and exercise world. Shape-ups sneakers help promote weight loss and firm and tone muscles.

Now two independent studies have said these claims are bunk. Listen to the three minute review at NPR. They say;

The latest hot product from the athletic shoe industry is the so-called toning shoe — a fancy sneaker with an unstable sole that's supposed to make your leg muscles work harder during everyday activities.

Shoe companies say that toning shoes can sculpt your legs and reduce the girth of your backside while you walk, as in a Skechers ad: "Get in shape without setting foot in a gym." But at least two new studies suggest such claims are untrue.

Skechers and companies like Reebok and MBT are all selling versions of these toning shoes from $100 a pair to as much as $245 a pair. See the toning shoes at Amazon.
.

Check out this inspiring video on how to get rock hard abs by regularly repeating these four simple exercises.

Via Abs Workout at Before and After TV on YouTube.

If you have an iPhone or iTouch, check out this new version of the virtual weight loss model. It's a great visual tool for seeing yourself lose weight over time. It's based on your height and weight (BMI). You can see how you look at your heaviest, how you look now, and what you might look like at your goal weight. Check it out at iTunes Weight Loss Virtual Model

Spanx is no longer just an shapewear 'underwear' company. They've come up with a whole line of slimming swimwear. Check out their collection at Amazon. It's not cheap but it's flattering and cute.

Adriana Lima gave birth to her first child six months ago and in this short video below she discusses how she's been working on her post-baby body to get back in top shape.

Here's a very nutritious breakfast which is unusually filling, low calorie and packed with nutrients, fiber, healthy fats and anti-oxidants. The main ingredients are soaked sunflower seeds, soaked flaxseed, blueberries and shredded coconut.

See 24 more diet recipes in a free recipe app [link to iTunes].

Jean Nidetch is the woman who founded Weight Watchers almost 50 years ago. She's 86 years old now and has not been overweight since 1963.

At the age of 38 she weighed 214 pounds but was able to slim down to 142 pounds over the next year. She started holding meetings with all her overweight friends, got together with a savvy business guy, and founded Weight Watchers in 1963. Her new book is out now, The Jean Nidetch Story: An Autobiography

Kirstie Alley's renewed weight loss efforts are the key theme of her new reality show 'Big Life' which starts tonight. She has gained 75 pounds in the past and lost the weight (as spokesperson for Jenny Craig) to appear on Oprah's show but now she's gained the weight back again and is determined to lose it for the last time - and make some money with it along the way, with this show and her new weight loss products company 'Organic Liaison'.

See the video below featuring her new show;

Here's a video review of our virtual weight loss apps (for both males and females). If you have an iPhone or iTouch and have a goal of losing weight this spring, it's a fun visual way for seeing your progress.

Via Katie Stiles at Before and After TV

See a slim model compared to a not so slim model in various outfits in January's issue of V Magazine. Both models shown here are 5'9".

The model on the left has measurements of 32/24/34, the model on the right is 36/31/41.

British men are becoming more comfortable with plastic surgery and 'moob' reductions were the fifth most popular cosmetic surgery procedure for men there last year. Over 1,000 men got a male chest reduction there, which is a 1,000 percent increase over five years and a 44% increase from the previous year.

The four more popular cosmetic procedures for men in Britian in order of popularity are nose jobs, eye surgery, ear corrections and liposuction.

But some men still aim to lose their moobs the natural way. Here's one guys lose the moobs story.

Here's a video clip from the Tyra Banks show last year where she discusses her swimsuit shoot and how a couple of unflattering photos were picked up by the tabloids and they claimed she had gained 40 pounds although she had only gone from 150 to 160 pounds.

Check out this fun video of a couple performing their Yoga acrobatics ('yogabatics') at a Lululemon retail store.

There's a good article about the colon cleansing fad in today's Wall Street Journal;

Does your colon really need cleansing?

According to a profusion of Web sites, clinics and wellness spas, the typical American diet of processed foods, pharmaceuticals, stress and lack of exercise is clogging up our lower intestinal tracts, leaving them inflamed and lined with waste—and leaking toxins into the body that cause problems ranging from headaches and chronic fatigue to arthritis and cellulite. All that "stubborn fecal matter" also contributes to bulging bellies and expanding waistlines, cleansing proponents claim.

Read the rest at Does Your Colon Really Need Cleaning?