Most people who are overweight have at least a rough idea of why this is so. Some are guilty of snacking on too much sugary candy, while others regularly cave to their desire for a pack of high-calorie beers. However, not everyone finds it so easy to work out why they have gained weight or why they seem to be unable to lose unwanted weight. Read on to discover the ten main underlying reasons for baffling weight gain, and learn what you can do in order to counteract each of these common problems.
Weight Gain Causes #1: Aging
It is an inescapable and depressing fact that getting older means developing a slower metabolic rate. The slower your metabolic rate, the less quickly your body burns through the calories that come from the food you consume. Once you are older than forty years of age, you will no longer be able to eat the amount that you used to without gaining weight as a result. If you are over forty and have been having issues with your weight, you should try to adopt a more vigorous exercise program and focus on healthy eating plans.
Weight Gain Causes #2: Quitting smoking
If you have recently found the willpower to stop smoking, congratulations! You most likely have a longer and healthier life ahead of you. However, there is one temporary downside to cutting cigarettes out of your life. Specifically, studies show that the majority of former smokers gain around 7 pounds of weight in the first year after quitting. A lot of this weight gain relates to increased snacking because of a need to do something else with the hands and mouth. If this sounds like something that is causing a problem for you, the solution is to grit your teeth and exercise more self-control regarding your snack choices and the frequency of your eating. However, it is important to note that even people who do not eat more food after they stop smoking can end up gaining weight. This is because the nicotine in your body used to boost your metabolism, and now that your metabolic rate has normalized you will no longer be able to eat quite as much without putting on a few pounds. You can counteract this with more vigorous and frequent exercise.
Weight Gain Causes #3: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
PCOS involves the formation of lots of small cysts on the ovaries and goes hand in hand with some substantial hormonal imbalances. Unfortunately, it is an extremely common condition in women of childbearing age. It is thought that around 10% of the female population between the ages of 12 and 45 suffer from the disease (though it goes undiagnosed in many women). If PCOS is one of the reasons why you are gaining a confusing amount of weight, you probably have at least one of the following additional symptoms: irregular periods, intermittent acne, and more body hair than the average women. If you suspect that you have PCOS, speak to your doctor about scheduling diagnostic blood tests and an ultrasound. If you do suffer from PCOS, the bad news is that it is likely that avoiding unwanted weight gain will always be something of a struggle. You will simply not be able to have as many unhealthy treats as you would like, and you will need to strict to a rigorous exercise plan throughout your life.
Weight Gain Causes #4: Taking antidepressants
Recent scientific research has revealed that no less than 25% of all people who take antidepressant medication end up gaining weight over the course of the time that they are taking the drugs. If you think that your antidepressants might be responsible for your weight problems, speak to your doctor about the possibility of changing to an alternative drug. However, it is vital that you do not simply decide to stop taking antidepressants, as your mental health is much more important than your waistline.
Weight Gain Causes #5: Stress
When your body becomes stressed, it starts to produce vast quantities of hormones that are intended to increase your chances of coping with sudden danger. Your blood pressure becomes higher, your heart races, and your hunger rate increases at the same time. This means that if you have a stressful lifestyle, you will be more hungry more of the time, and therefore more likely to accidentally overeat or snack too often (often without realizing it). Stress is also connected to weight gain in a second way, as some people ‘comfort eat’ to boost their mood during periods of uncertainty and anxiety. If you find yourself feeling stressed much of the time and happen to be struggling with weight problems, there are a few important things that you can do in order to help yourself. For one thing, it is important to exercise as often as you can. Workouts promote the production of endorphins, and these chemicals naturally improve your mood while promoting weight loss. Further, you should try to remove extraneous sources of stress in your life. Are any of the things that are upsetting you things that you could do without? If so, try to walk away from them and replace them with healthier habits. Finally, it is vital to learn how to encourage your body to relax after times of stress. Different things work for different people, but meditation, counseling, self-help guides, and yoga are some common activities via which stress levels can be reduced.
Weight Gain Causes #6: Focusing on the fat content of meals and snacks
People who want to lose weight or who are afraid of gaining weight tend to zero in on the saturated fat content of their food. If you do this, you may often skim over the information about calories and sugar content, and this can lead to accidentally gaining weight. Many foods that are low in fat contain lots of extra sugar in order to improve the taste of the product, and so they may not be as ‘healthy’ as you think. Rather than obsessing about fat, make a habit of carefully reading all the information on the labels of products before you make your choice.
Weight Gain Causes #7: Taking steroids
Corticosteroid drugs are powerful in their ability to treat many severe health problems (especially the symptoms that accompany certain tumors). However, studies have repeatedly shown that they cause weight gain in almost all of the people who take them and that they also make it hard to lose weight in spite of genuine efforts. They promote water retention in the body, especially around the abdomen, and boost your appetite to newly voracious levels. If you are overweight and happen to be taking steroids, your doctor can advise you on whether there are any other treatments you can try.
Weight Gain Causes #8: Hormonal contraceptives
Studies show that there is a correlation between weight gain and all forms of hormonal contraception. This includes the combined pill, the intrauterine system, and the implant. However, scientists have thus far been cautious about claiming that these contraceptives actually cause the weight gain that has been observed, and research is still in process. If you use a hormonal contraceptive and are not happy with your figure, discuss the issue with your doctor and find out whether they think that there is a plausible connection. Your doctor may suggest that you try a different drug (such as the progestogen-only pill), or you might want to switch to condoms for six months in order to see whether there is a difference in your weight at the end of that trial period.
Weight Gain Causes #9: An underactive thyroid
Hypothyroidism is a condition that occurs when your thyroid gland stops producing the correct amount of hormones. This impacts on your body’s metabolic rate and can make it much easier to gain weight (as well as much harder to lose it). Other symptoms of this health problem include constipation, cold hands and feet, general aches, and persistent fatigue. If this all sounds familiar, approach your doctor about having a blood test to rule out hypothyroidism. If you turn out to be a sufferer, your condition (and weight gain) can be effectively treated with daily medication.
Weight Gain Causes #10: Bad sleeping habits
Everyone knows that it is recommended that you get around eight hours of sleep per night, but many people regularly sleep for just five or six hours. In addition, plenty of the people who do get eight hours of sleep are not getting them at optimal hours of the day due to going to bed too late at night. If you are in the former category and sleep for less than eight hours on average, this warps your body’s hormonal balance in ways that can lead to weight gain. You will feel hungrier, and find meals to be less satisfying, which means that larger portion sizes and frequent snacking will tempt you. If you are in the latter category and tend to stay up into the early hours of the morning, you will be more prone to snacking in order to keep yourself mentally alert while you work, read, or watch television. Of course, adopting a better sleeping pattern can be a tall order if you have a substantial workload or are frequently woken by a new baby. However, if you can, try to make sure that you are in bed no later than 11 pm, and wake up around 7 am. If there is nothing you can do to adjust your sleep schedule, be more mindful of your snacking habits and try to eat fresh fruit when it is time for a snack.
Although these ten lifestyle, medical and dietary factors are some of the most common reasons for confusing weight gain, there are also other underlying health problems that could be responsible for your problem such as gluten sensitivity. If modifying your habits in response to the above does not lead to more effective dieting, make sure that you see a doctor to ask which tests might help to diagnose why you are unintentionally gaining weight. It is also worth noting that antidepressants and steroids are not the only drugs capable of causing weight gain. Medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, migraines, and seizures are all linked to problems with weight as well. Finally, if you are a sexually active woman and notice that you are steadily gaining weight, it is always worth taking a pregnancy test just to rule out the possibility that you might have accidentally become pregnant.
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