23 reasons for gaining weight | Facts

You might be thinking about people around you who can eat whatever they want and still not gain weight. On the other hand there are some people who gain weight no matter how little they eat. Now the question is why? what are the factor behind this discrimination? That is what we are going discuss below so keep reading

How does it grow?

People accumulate belly fat for a variety of causes, including poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress. Improving one’s diet, increasing physical activity, and changing one’s lifestyle can all assist.

There are variety of reasons  people gain belly fat :

Sugary Foods and Beverages

Consuming foods and beverages high in sugar or high-fructose corn syrup on a regular basis may lead to abdominal fat accumulation.

Added sugar may be the single most harmful component of today’s diet. This is because sugar alters your body’s hormones and biochemistry when taken in excess. As a result, weight gain is a possibility. Half of added sugar is glucose and half is fructose.

Increased appetite and weight gain are connected to a high sugar intake. A diet low in added sugar but high in protein and fat, on the other hand, has the opposite impact, lowering appetite and food consumption. Added sugar in the diet, especially fructose, stimulates hunger.

Sodas, juices and a variety of sports drinks have little nutritional benefit but are high in calories, and eating too many calories can lead to weight gain. Because sugary drinks don’t fill you up as quickly as solid foods, it’s simple to consume more calories than you need.

Fruit Juice

Fruit juice is a high-sugar beverage that, if consumed in excess, can lead to insulin resistance and belly fat growth.

Fruit juice and soda are high in calories but lacking in fiber, making them ineffective at curbing hunger and keeping you satisfied. They may also contribute to an increase in calorie consumption, resulting in weight gain.

Trans Fat

Trans fats cause inflammation, which can lead to insulin resistance and abdominal fat gain.

But that’s not all: trans fats make you fatter than other foods with the same number of calories. Trans fats, according to Wake Forest University researchers, increase the amount of fat around the belly button.

They do this not only by depositing new fat to the belly, but also by transferring fat from other parts of the body to the belly.

Foods containing trans fat are: 

Vegetable Shortening , Some Varieties of Microwavable Popcorn, Certain Margarines and Vegetable Oils, Fried Fast Foods, Bakery Products, Non-Dairy Coffee Creamers, Potato and corn chip, Meat pies and sausage rolls, Sweet pies, Pizza, Canned frosting, Crackers

Poor diet

Under- or overeating, not getting enough of the healthy nutrients we need each day, or consuming too many types of low-fiber, high-fat, salt, and/or sugar foods and drinks are all examples of poor diet.

Trans fats, in particular, have been linked to inflammation and obesity. Trans fats should be replaced with whole-grain foods, according to the American Heart Association. 

Low-protein, high-carbohydrate diets can impair a person’s capacity to burn fat. A diet high in sugary foods might lead to weight gain.

Too much alcohol

Heavy drinking raises the risk of various diseases and has been related to extra abdominal fat.

Alcohol can lead to weight gain in four ways: it prevents your body from burning fat, it’s high in kilojoules, it makes you hungry, and it leads to bad eating choices.

It also depends on what you drink, how much you drink, how often you drink, what you eat when you drink, and your particular body and lifestyle all play a role in whether or not you gain weight from alcohol.

If you take five shots once a month for a year, you’ll gain 5,820 calories, or 1.6 pounds. Binge-drinking beer just once a month for five years will build up to 45,900 calories, or 13.1 pounds of weight gain.

Lack of exercise

A person will gain weight if they consume more calories than they burn off.

A person’s ability to lose excess fat, particularly around the belly, is hampered by an inactive lifestyle.

Even if you don’t have any other risk factors, not getting enough physical activity can contribute to heart disease. It can also increase the risk of other heart disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.

Stress and Cortisol

Increased abdominal fat may be caused by the hormone cortisol, which is secreted in reaction to stress. This is especially true for women who have a larger waist-to-hip ratio.

Cortisol promotes fat and carbohydrate metabolism for quick energy, as well as insulin release and blood sugar control. These behaviors can lead to an increase in appetite as well as cravings for sweet, high-fat, and salty foods.

There is no scientific proof that cortisol blockers help people lose weight. When you’re stressed, your body produces more cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Increased hunger and weight gain may be linked to chronic stress and chronically elevated cortisol levels.

Low-Fiber Diets

A diet high in refined carbohydrates and poor in fiber may contribute to an increase in abdominal fat. Food low in fiber means you feel hungry very frequently, you feel empty stomach and you want to eat very frequently which leads to weight gain.

Low fiber foods are:

  • Breads and other baked foods made from refined white flour,White rice, noodles, refined pasta.
  • Fruit juices without pulp, except prune juice, Soft fruits such as bananas and melons, Canned or well-cooked fruit.
  • Vegetable juices without pulp, Potatoes without skin,Canned or well-cooked vegetables.
  • Well-cooked tender meat, fish, poultry, eggs.
  • Milk, Soft, mild cheeses, Plain yoghurt.
  • Vegetable oils, margarine, butter

Low-Protein Diets

Low protein consumption has been linked to an increase in appetite and belly fat. It may also raise neuropeptide Y, a hunger hormone.

It’s possible that a low protein diet will make you hungrier. While having a larger appetite is advantageous when food is scarce, it can lead to weight gain and obesity when food is plentiful.

In conclusion, weight gain from a low protein diet (5 percent energy from protein) was reduced when compared to weight increase from a regular protein diet (15 percent energy from protein) with the same number of extra calories. Calories alone, on the other hand, played a role in the growth in body fat.

Genetics

What role do genes have in obesity?

Obesity is linked to genetics, according to research. In certain illnesses, such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome and Prader-Willi syndrome, genes can directly cause obesity.

Genes, on the other hand, do not always predict future health. For a person to be overweight, both genes and behavior may be required. Multiple genes may increase one’s propensity to obesity in some situations, requiring external variables such as a plentiful food supply or minimal physical activity.

Small alterations in these genes can affect their levels of activity, which are the basis for the signals and reactions that control food intake. Some genes have been linked to obesity due to variations.

The brain responds to signals from fat (adipose) tissue, the pancreas, and the digestive tract to regulate food intake. Hormones include leptin, insulin, and ghrelin, as well as other tiny molecules, transmit these messages. These impulses are combined with other inputs by the brain, which then sends instructions to the body: either consume more and use less energy, or the opposite.

Poor sleep

Poor sleep is linked to higher levels of oxidative stress, glucose intolerance (a precursor to diabetes), and insulin resistance. Extra awake time may enhance eating chances, while sleeping less may disturb circadian cycles, resulting in weight gain.

“Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and you have less leptin when you don’t get enough sleep.” Weight gain is caused by an increase in ghrelin and a decrease in leptin. When you don’t get enough sleep, you consume more and your metabolism slows down, according to Breus.

Smoking

Although researchers do not believe that smoking is a direct cause of belly fat, they do believe that it is a risk factor.

Despite the fact that both smokers and nonsmokers were obese, smokers had more belly and visceral fat than nonsmokers, according to a 2012 study published in the journal PloS one.

There are a few reasons why people gain weight after quitting smoking. Some of them are related to how nicotine affects your body. Cigarettes include nicotine, which accelerates your metabolism. Nicotine boosts the number of calories burned by your body at rest by roughly 7% to 15%.

When you stop smoking, your calorie requirements decrease. Smoking can make you feel hungrier. When you stop smoking, you may notice that food tastes better and that you crave sugary meals.

Late Night dinner

Calories do not count for more at night physiologically.If you eat within your daily calorie demands, you won’t gain weight by just eating later.

Despite this, studies suggest that nocturnal diners make inferior meal choices and consume more calories, perhaps leading to weight gain.

You tamper with your body’s body clock when you eat late. As a result, there is a greater risk of despair and anxiety. Increased blood pressure: Late-night eating and sleeping can contribute to hypertension and diabetes.

Inactivity

Inactivity has been linked to a rise in abdominal fat. Resistance and aerobic exercise may help to avoid the reabsorption of abdominal fat following weight loss.

Obesity is linked to a lack of activity more than a poor diet, according to a Stanford study. An analysis of national health survey data reveals that inactivity, rather than increased calorie intake, may be to blame for the obesity epidemic.

Menopause

Menopause causes a shift in fat storage from the hips and thighs to visceral fat in the abdomen due to hormonal changes.

When a woman reaches menopause, she ceases ovulating and her monthly period (menstruation) ends. There is a propensity for women in their 40s and 50s to gain weight, which can be regulated by lifestyle variables such as nutrition and exercise. 

The hormonal changes that occur during perimenopause are associated to an increase in the distribution of abdominal fat. Midlife obesity is linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Hormone levels, particularly oestrogen, can affect body fat distribution.

As oestrogen levels drop during perimenopause and early postmenopause, many women develop fat mass. Men and postmenopausal women store fat around the belly (making them ‘apple-shaped’), whereas women of reproductive age store fat in the lower body (making them ‘pear-shaped’).

Although the specific mechanisms are unknown, animal studies have demonstrated that a shortage of oestrogen causes undesirable belly obesity.

The Wrong Gut Bacteria

A bacterial imbalance in the stomach can lead to weight gain, especially belly fat.

In humans, a link between the gut microbiome and obesity has been discovered. 

Low fecal bacterial diversity is linked to increased overall adiposity and dyslipidemia, poor glucose homeostasis, and more low-grade inflammation in overweight/obese people.

As a result, specific gut bacteria that produce LPS and promote inflammation may have a role in obesity and insulin resistance. Overweight adults had decreased gut flora variety and higher levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory sign in the blood, according to a study of 292 people.

Probiotics from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families have been found to help people lose weight and belly fat. One of the most effective appears to be Lactobacillus gasseri.

Calorie Surplus

Consuming more calories than your body requires is one of the most prominent causes of belly obesity. The impacts of excess calories are becoming increasingly prevalent as more Americans adopt less active and more sedentary lifestyles.

Weight gain occurs when a person consumes more calories than their body requires on a daily basis, regardless of how active they are.

A weekly weight gain of one to two pounds can be achieved by increasing calories by 500 to 1000 per day. Gaining one pound of body weight necessitates an additional 3500 calories.

Metabolism

Our metabolism slows as we age, resulting in fewer calories burned and an increase in total body fat. As people get older, women tend to develop more fat than males. Learn more about metabolism.

Body Fat Distribution

Estrogen levels diminish after menopause, which can cause changes in body fat distribution. As a result, more fat is directed to the middle rather than the lower body.

Hormones

Hormones and hormonal changes can also influence the growth of abdominal fat. Leptin, a hormone that causes sensations of fullness, is linked to the amount of fat stored in the body.

Early research on leptin revealed that when body fat and leptin levels grew, resistance to leptin absorption through the blood-brain barrier decreased. As a result, the impulses that control body weight would be diminished.

However, despite the fact that leptin and obesity have been studied for over 25 years, it is still unclear how the two are linked.

Medication

Medication is another prevalent cause of abdominal weight gain. Weight gain could be caused by a variety of antidepressants and antipsychotics, as well as anti-seizure drugs and corticosteroids.

Obesity-related disorders, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, necessitate the use of many prescription medicines. 

When compared to the placebo, some diabetes treatments, such as insulin, sulfonylureas, and thiazolidinediones, were found to induce considerable weight gain. 

Beta-blockers and some calcium channel blockers, which are commonly used to treat hypertension, have been linked to weight gain.

Food cravings:

What causes a person to have a strong need for food?

Food cravings are influenced by the brain regions responsible for memory, pleasure, and reward. Food cravings can also be caused by hormonal imbalances such as leptin and serotonin. Cravings are linked to the brain’s appetite regions, despite the fact that they are distinct from hunger.

The common food cravings are as follows:

  • Fast foods
  • Potato chips
  • Chocolate.
  • Lemons.
  • Spicy food.
  • Ice Cream.
  • Red Meat.
  • Cheese.
  • Pickles.
  • Peanut Butter.

Work environment: 

Gaining weight is also a result of your work environment. Many people in jobs don’t have to move much; they simply sit at their desk and continue to work. As a result, there is no way for you to reduce weight and you become Obese.Your work environment can also cause you to gain weight. Many people have occupations where they don’t have to move much; they simply sit at their desk and work. As a result, you will be unable to lose weight and will grow obese.

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