Got a fat gene? Get active for 3-4 hours

Maybe you can blame being fat on your genes. But there's a way to overcome that family history -- just get three to four hours of moderate activity a day.
Sound pretty daunting? Not for the Amish of Lancaster County, Pa., who were the focus of a new study on a common genetic variation that makes people more likely to gain weight. It turns out the variant's effects can be blocked with physical activity -- lots of it. Scientists believe about 30 percent of white people of European ancestry have this variant, including the Amish, and that may partly explain why so many people are overweight. But fighting that fat factor may be easier in the Amish community's 19th century rural lifestyle. They don't use cars or modern appliances. Many of the men are farmers and carpenters, and the women, who are homemakers, often care for several children.

Lung cancer deadlier for men nonsmokers

Men who have never smoked are more likely to die from lung cancer than women nonsmokers, researchers reported.
They found that male nonsmokers were about 25 percent more likely to die from lung cancer than women nonsmokers even though they developed the disease at similar rates. Men who had never smoked had a 1.1 percent risk of dying from lung cancer, compared to 0.8 percent for the women, the study found. This compares to about 22 percent among men who smoke and 12 percent of women who smoke. The study in North America, Europe and Asia was the largest ever done on nonsmokers and lung cancer. "Lung cancer is a significant public health and medical problem even beyond the overwhelming disease burden caused by tobacco smoking," Dr. Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society, who led the study, said in a telephone interview. Thun said it is unclear why male nonsmokers are more likely to die from lung cancer than women. "That's an interesting and unresolved question," he said.