Our parents give us many lessons throughout our lives, and for some, these lessons can include some seriously unhealthy habits.
For Elizabeth, the subject of episode seven of Gwyneth Paltrow and Tracy Anderson's "The Restart Project," her family lessons included a love of fried foods, a lack of exercise and a long line of "beautiful, big women" who weren't embarrassed by their size.
While her confidence is inspirational, her weight (247 pounds after she'd already lost a bit) led to a gallbladder operation — and the decision to change her habits. As Elizabeth explains in the video above, she realized no one had forced her to make the choices she had, and she started exercising and giving up foods to get down to a healthy weight.
The genetic impact of obesity is being studied by many researchers, with results showing that both inherited genes and environmental factors contribute to body type. As Elizabeth notes, she's concerned about her older daughter following the same path she'd originally taken — but hopefully, her mother can serve as an inspiration to both her and other members of their family to fight obesity through sheer force of will.
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