It's now official. The simple act of fidgeting

can mean the difference between lean and obese.

It's the natural weight loss diet.

My friend likes to relate a story from time to

time about when he was just a lad. His

grandfather called him "Worm", because he

fidgeted so much. And between you and me, it

can get rather annoying.

But he had the right idea, even if it wasn't

intentional. He's 5'8" tall and weighs around

145 lbs.

To my knowledge, he doesn't work out, jog, or

go to the gym. He fidgets. When we visit, I

watch him twist and turn, tap his feet in the

air, get up and down from the chair and walk

around. It's enough to drive you crazy, but his

slim physique speaks volumes.

I've always believed that fidgeting is a result

of a fast metabolism, so he naturally burns

more calories, producing natural weight loss.

But I also believe that fidgeting can be

learned. Of course that's all we need, more

people to drive us crazy!

Now there's a study to confirm what I've always

believed. A detailed study conducted of mundane

bodily movements found that obese people tend

to be much less fidgety than lean people and

spend at least two hours more each day just

sitting still. The extra motion by lean people

is enough to burn about 350 extra calories a

day, which could add up to 10 to 20 pounds a

year.

"There are these absolutely staggering

differences between people who are lean and

people who are obese," said James Levine of the

Mayo Clinic, who led the research. "The amount

of this low-grade activity is so substantial

that it could, in and of itself, account for

obesity quite easily."

Here are some things you could try.

• When a commercial come on TV, get up and

stretch or better yet, move around. Just avoid

the kitchen.

• Wriggle your toes and your fingers whenever

you can. This will also tell you how sore they

are and if their condition is so bad, just

think of the rest of your body.

• Tap your feet in the air. Think of an upbeat

song and tap along. This helps get your blood

flowing.

• Do things like fetching, turning things off

and on by yourself. Often when we come back

tired from work, we tend to get others to do

simple chores for us. These things are no big

deal. They are things that we can very well do

for our selves but we don¡¯t.

• When talking on the phone, get up and pace.

Just vary your walking area. You don't want to

wear a path in your carpet.

• Try breathing exercises. You might be

surprised to know that breathing exercises too

can lead to weight loss. If you are doing the

breathing exercises properly, you will find

that you can exert a lot of pressure on the

muscles around the mid section.

You can feel a tightening of these muscles each

time you breathe in or breathe out. So go ahead

and breathe properly, it is good for you.

• Do not slouch in your chair, but try to

maintain an erect posture with your tummy

tucked in. Slouching is a very bad habit. Not

only is it bad for your back but it also gives

you a very flabby figure. It is your way of

saying yes to a comfortable, weight-gaining

pose.

Make it a point to always sit as erect as you

can. It is also a terrific way to ward off back

problems.

Fidgeting isn't a cure-all for obesity, but if

you're physically unable or just too plain lazy

to eat right and workout, it's a great start.