Sometimes fat doesn't seem to play fair. In fact, many people who appear "overweight" to you are healthier than others who weigh a lot less. You've always heard that in order to lose weight you need to eat less and exercise more. However, sometimes eating right and working out doen't make the pounds melt away for some people. This can be extremely frustrating. Scientists are beginning to discover that genes and hormonal imbalances can play a large role in making certain people overweight. Viruses, free radicals, lack of sleep, and stress may also be to blame. It's fairly easy to look at someone who is overweight and say, "That person is unhealthy." But that may or may not be true. In fact, a recent study published by the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that 51% of overweight people surveyed in their study had normal cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels.

If you have the fat gene (scientifically known as FTO) you simply need to work harder to lose weight than other people who lack the gene. People with the FTO gene are also more likely to acquire type 2 diabetes during their lifetime.

Some people are unlucky enough to have two copies of the gene. Making things even more complicated is the fact that scientists are discovering even more fat genes. In fact, there could be as many as 100 fat genes in the human genome. Each gene can add a pound or two here and there.

Depending on what fat genes you have and in what proportions it all makes a significant difference in how hard you need to work in order to lose weight. Despite that, the FTO gene seems to have the greatest impact on being overweight or obese. Scientists estimate that about 16 percent of the population has two copies of the FTO gene and 50% of us have at least one copy.

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You can think of fat cells as tiny plastic shopping bags in your body that hold fat. What many people don't realize is that even when you lose weight, your body still contains the same amount of fat cells. The bag is still there, but the contents of the bag weigh less. Some people have more fat cells than others--twice as many in some cases.

There is still a lot that we still don't know about fat cells. A big question for scientists is whether or not fat cells removed with liposuction eventually come back. Either way, I say forget cosmetic surgery and buy a pair of tummy tuck jeans instead!

The fat cells of overweight and obese people are larger in size, which allows them to hold more fat. If you gain or lose weight the only thing that changes is the amount of fat in the cells. The total number of fat cells stays the same. It's highly possible that those people who eat healthy and workout but still appear overweight simply have more fat cells. Their fat cells may be smaller in size but because they have more than the average person they still appear overweight.

This might make you feel pretty depressed, but the key point is that even though you can't change the number of fat cells floating around in your body there still are a number of things you can do to make sure they stay small.

Like it or not, there isn't much you can do to change your genetics or the number of fat cells in your body. However, that shouldn't stop you from trying to shrink the size of your fat cells and lose weight.

One of the most important things you can do to shrink the size of your fat cells is to exercise regularly. Yeah, I know that sounds like a broken record but gaining weight can have a big impact on your metabolism. Scientists state that as little as 11 pounds can slow down your metabolism. And as you gain even more weight it becomes harder to lose. 30 mintues of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week is enough to do the job. You don't have even have to do the 30 minutes all at work. Simple things like taking the stairs instead the elevator and parking farther away from the door can make a big difference when all added together.

While there are a gajillion diet books on the market there are basically four basic rules to follow for eating healthy:

1. Avoid sugary and processed carbohydrates as much as possible.
2. Avoid trans fats and saturated fats.
3. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
4. Stick with lean protein.

You don't have to avoid carbohydrates completely. Carbs in the form of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber are good for you. It's also impossible not to avoid fatty foods altogether. Certain fats like those that come from olives, avocados and nuts are acceptable. You can even eat red meat on occasion but usually it's best to stick with lean protein. Some lean protein sources include sirloin (the leanest ground beef), sushi, eggs, pork chops, chicken, turkey, and fish.

Other good ideas include surrounding yourself with health-conscious people whether that be friends, family, or co-workers. While obesity seems to spread itself through these social networks so does slimming down. Also make sure you get pleny of sleep at night. Sleep deprivation disturbs your hormonal imbalance which can make you feel hungry even when you're not.