One of the foremost reasons for being overweight is overeating and less exercising. In other words, people can gain weight when they eat more than they can burn off. However this conventional diet knowledge is not always true. There could be several other causes for rapid weight gain. Sometimes people do a lot of exercise and diet; still they don’t find the weighing scales needle going down. This is probably a call to check out the reasons for sudden weight gain. There are so many factors that can impact your weight. It is more likely a combination of things rather than just one factor. It could be stress, lack of sleep, medication, genes, habits, emotions, calories and physical inactivity.
CALORIES
The calorie is a unit of measurement of energy contained within food. The living body requires a certain number of calories each day as fuel. Calories in excess of what the body needs as fuel get stored in the form of fat reserves. People gain weight and get fat when they constantly eat more calories than their body requires to meet daily demands.
LACK OF SLEEP
The human body functions best when well rested. When you don’t get enough sleep your body experiences physiological stress and you tend to store fat more efficiently. Symptoms that you may not be getting enough sleep include fatigue, low energy levels, nodding off easily and feeling irritable. Strive to get eight hours of sleep each night. When you develop good sleeping rituals and get regular exercise, you sleep better and avoid weight gain due to lack of sleep.
MEDICATION
Medicine might be the cause of weight gain if you have gained 5 or more pounds in a month without a change in your lifestyle. Some prescription drugs used to treat depression, mood disorder, seizures, migraines, blood pressure and diabetes can cause weight gain. If you suspect your medication is causing weight gain talk to your health care providers but don’t go off your medication without seeking medical advice.
GENES
An under lying tendency to obesity may be the result of our genes. Many genes have been identified that can either increase or decrease appetite. However genetic factors don’t make obesity inevitable.
STRESS
Having too much stress in your life puts a strain on your physical well being as much as it does to your emotional and mental state. Stress hormones in our body have been linked to an increase in belly fat. This is more likely to cause obesity in the abdominal region and result in health problems. Many people reach for food to help ease the stress. But, of course, this doesn’t work in the long run as it only leads to weight gain.
PHYSICAL INACTIVITY
People who lead a physically active life are less likely to gain weight than those who spend most of their day in front of computers, television, or in the car. There’s evidence that physical activity can help to keep the weight off in the long term too.
There are many factors that can result in weight gain. Extra calories may not be the only reason. Proper diet and regular exercising are the key factors for healthy living.
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Masha’Allah. Very nice article sis. I should be careful of all these reasons, especially stress as it has a lot of effect on my life due to work. Keep up the good work dear. (Y)