Our environment is making us fat. We drive more, exercise less, eat bigger portions, and consume more liquid calories than ever before. It’s that last point that many experts believe is an underappreciated reason for weight gain.

Researchers from the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina examined dietary records of U.S. adults from as far back as 1965 to as recently as 2002. What they found is a cause for concern.

In 1965, only 11.8 percent of the average adult’s calories came from beverages. However, that number significantly increased to 21 percent by 2002, largely because of an increase in the consumption of sweetened beverages.

Another problem the researchers noted is the huge increase in available beverage options. We now have energy drinks, sports drinks, sweetened teas, juices supplemented with vitamins and antioxidants, and more sodas than ever before.

A proven way to reduce your calorie intake and risk of weight gain is to eliminate sweetened drinks from your diet. So stick with unsweetened iced tea, water, green tea, and a small amount of coffee each day to quench your thirst. Avoid all sweetened beverages. Unless you are exercising for more than 90 minutes, forget about the Gatorade and stick to plain water.

By Craig Ballantyne

Losing weight doesn’t get any easier with age. But if America’s baby boomers don’t start shedding pounds, they will be the most overweight senior citizens in history.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health looked at the data and then peered into their crystal balls to forecast the future. They concluded that if current trends continue, the prevalence of obesity in 2010 will reach 35 percent, 36 percent, 33 percent, and 55 percent among white men, white women, black men, and black women, respectively.

There will be 9.3 million more obese adults between the ages of 20 to 74 in 2010 than there were in 2000, with 8.3 million over 50 years of age. You can avoid becoming one of them by eating properly and exercising regularly.

Here are three tips to help you get started losing fat right now…

1. Write out three short-term goals, focusing on actions you can control. One, for example, could be to go to the gym three times per week.
2. Eliminate all liquid calories from your diet. This can lead to fast and permanent weight loss.
3. Start exercising with a friend. Having this social support system will help you stick to your program.

[Ed. Note: Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system. For a free online source of information, motivation, and social support to help you improve your health, lose weight, and get fit, sign up for ETR’s free natural health e-letter.]