London, Sept 10 : Most people blame their ever-expanding thighs and tummies on age, a slow metabolism or even bad genes, but what they don’t know is that even their hairstyle can hinder their plans to lose weight.

A top US doctor has warned that women who spend hours attached to their straighteners are less likely to exercise than their low-maintenance counterparts.

According to Regina Benjamin, the U. S. Surgeon General, too many women are foregoing physical activity because it will ruin their hair.

“Often you get women saying, ‘I can’t exercise today because I don’t want to sweat my hair back or get my hair wet’,” the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

“When you’re starting to exercise, you look for reasons not to, and sometimes the hair is one of those reasons. I hate to use the word ‘excuse’, but that’s one of them,” she said.

The problem, Dr Benjamin said, is that many women invest considerable time and money in taming their hair. Motion and moisture can undo all their hard work, so some simply avoid physical exertion entirely.

Dr Emma Williams, of the British Nutrition Foundation, says the solution is to pick a form of exercise that doesn’t involve getting too hot and sweaty, such as doing household chores or going for a brisk walk. (ANI)