6 Leading Causes of Weight Gain and Obesity

6 Leading Causes of Weight Gain and Obesity

Obesity

Obesity is one of the biggest health problems in the world.

Obesity,is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health. It is defined by body mass index (BMI) and further evaluated in terms of fat distribution via the waist–hip ratio and total cardiovascular risk factors.
It’s associated with several related conditions, collectively known as metabolic syndrome. These include high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and a poor blood lipid profile.

People with metabolic syndrome are at a much higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, compared to those whose weight is in a normal range.

Over the past decades, much research has focused on the causes of obesity and how it could be prevented or treated.

Obesity and Willpower

Many people seem to think that weight gain and obesity are caused by a lack of willpower.

That’s not entirely true. Although weight gain is largely a result of eating behavior and lifestyle, some people are at a disadvantage when it comes to controlling their eating habits.

The thing is, overeating is driven by various biological factors like genetics and hormones. Certain people are simply predisposed to gaining weight

Of course, people can overcome their genetic disadvantages by changing their lifestyle and behavior. Lifestyle changes require willpower, dedication and perseverance.

Nevertheless, claims that behavior is purely a function of willpower is far too simplistic.

They don’t take into account all the other factors that ultimately determine what people do and when they do it.

Here are 6 common factors that are leading causes of weight gain, obesity and metabolic disease, many of which have nothing to do with willpower.

1. Genetics

Obesity has a strong genetic component. Children of obese parents are much more likely to become obese than children of lean parents.

That doesn’t mean that obesity is completely predetermined. What you eat can have a major effect on which genes are expressed and which are not.

Non-industrialized societies rapidly become obese when they start eating a typical Western diet. Their genes didn't change, but the environment and the signals they sent to their genes did.

Put simply, genetic components do affect your susceptibility to gaining weight. Studies on identical twins demonstrate this very well 

SUMMARY
Some people appear to be genetically susceptible to weight gain and obesity.

2. Engineered Junk Foods

Heavily processed foods are often little more than refined ingredients mixed with additives.

These products are designed to be cheap, last long on the shelf and taste so incredibly good that they are hard to resist.

By making foods as tasty as possible, food manufacturers are trying to increase sales. But they also promote overeating.

Most processed foods today don't resemble whole foods at all. These are highly engineered products, designed to get people hooked.

SUMMARY
Stores are filled with processed foods that are hard to resist. These products also promote overeating.

3. Food Addiction

Many sugar-sweetened, high-fat junk foods stimulate the reward centers in your brain

In fact, these foods are often compared to commonly abused drugs like alcohol, cocaine, nicotine and cannabis.

Junk foods can cause addiction in susceptible individuals. These people lose control over their eating behavior, similar to people struggling with alcohol addiction losing control over their drinking behavior.

Addiction is a complex issue that can be very difficult to overcome. When you become addicted to something, you lose your freedom of choice and the biochemistry in your brain starts calling the shots for you.

SUMMARY
Some people experience strong food cravings or addiction. This especially applies to sugar-sweetened, high-fat junk foods which stimulate the reward centers in the brain.

4. Insulin

Insulin is a very important hormone that regulates energy storage, among other things.

One of its functions is to tell fat cells to store fat and to hold on to the fat they already carry.

Most diets promotes insulin resistance in many overweight and obese individuals. This elevates insulin levels all over the body, causing energy to get stored in fat cells instead of being available for use

Several studies suggest that high insulin levels have a causal role in the development of obesity (Source).

One of the best ways to lower your insulin is to cut back on simple or refined carbohydrates while increasing fiber intake.

This usually leads to an automatic reduction in calorie intake and effortless weight loss — no calorie counting or portion control needed 

SUMMARY
High insulin levels and insulin resistance are linked to the development of obesity. To lower insulin levels, reduce your intake of refined carbs and eat more fiber.

5. Certain Medications

Many pharmaceutical drugs can cause weight gain as a side effect

For example, antidepressants have been linked to modest weight gain over time

Other examples include diabetes medication and antipsychotics

These drugs don't decrease your willpower. They alter the function of your body and brain, reducing metabolic rate or increasing appetite

SUMMARYSome medications may promote weight gain by reducing the number of calories burned or increasing appetite.

6. Misinformation

People all over the world are being misinformed about health and nutrition.

There are many reasons for this, but the problem largely depends on where people get their information from.

Many websites, for example, spread inaccurate or even incorrect information about health and nutrition.

Some news outlets also oversimplify or misinterpret the results of scientific studies and the results are frequently taken out of context.

Other information may simply be outdated or based on theories that have never been fully proven.

Food companies also play a role. Some promote products, such as weight loss supplements, that do not work.

Weight loss strategies based on false information can hold back your progress. It’s important to choose your sources well.

SUMMARYMisinformation may contribute to weight gain in some people. It can also make weight loss more difficult.

The Bottom Line

If you have concerns about your weightloss, you should not use this article as an excuse to give up.

While you can’t fully control the way your body works, you can learn how to control your eating habits and change your lifestyle.

Unless there is some medical condition getting in your way, it is within your power to control your weight.

It often takes hard work and a drastic lifestyle change, but many people do succeed in the long run despite having the odds stacked against them.

The point of this article is to open people's minds to the fact that something other than individual responsibility plays a role in the obesity epidemic.

The fact is that modern eating habits and food culture must be changed to be able to reverse this problem on a global scale.

The idea that it is all caused by a lack of willpower is exactly what food producers want you to believe, so they can continue their marketing in peace.