What causes me to gain weight?
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Weight Watchers® answered:Over the past 30 years, much has been learned about the causes of excessive weight gain. There are three major causes: biological causes, overeating, and lack of physical activity.
For most people, it is a combination of these causes that leads to weight gain. Studies have clearly shown that a tendency toward obesity runs in families. Except in rare cases, however, the genes that impact body weight do not directly cause obesity. Rather, genes influence our susceptibility to weight gain when we live in an environment that supports eating calories in excess and/or limiting physical activity. When that is the case, our bodies take in more food than is immediately needed to fuel our activities, and it stores the extra food in the form of fat.
Weight Watchers can help you lose weight and keep it off. Learn more about Weight Watchers and how to join.Over the past 30 years, much has been learned about the causes of excessive weight gain. There are three major causes: biological causes, overeating, and lack of physical activity. For most people, it is a combination of these causes that... More -
Dr. Dean Ornish answered:The conventional wisdom is that you gain weight when there is an imbalance between energy intake (calories) and expenditure (exercise and metabolism). This is true, but it is only part of the story. The more fundamental questions are
- Are all calories alike?
- What affects the rate at which you burn calories?
- What really motivates you to make and maintain lasting changes in our behaviors?
Find out more about this book: Eat More, Weigh Less: Dr. Dean Ornish's Life Choice Program for Losing Weig...
The conventional wisdom is that you gain weight when there is an imbalance between energy intake (calories) and expenditure (exercise and metabolism). This is true, but it is only part of the story. The more fundamental questions are - Are all... More -
Jeff Croswell - NASM Elite Trainer answered:Gaining weight is simple mathematics. You are eating more than you are burning. Most people don't know what they burn in a given day. So if you don't know that then how do you know what you need to burn to lose weight. So bottom line if you are gaining weight first know what your are burning in given day and then see what you are eating in a day. Tracking what you are eating through a meal planning software like dotfit will help you track what you are taking in. Another great way to track your calorie burn is through the exerspy which is an armband that you wear on your arm to track your calories throughout the day. If you do these two things you will always keep your weight down.Gaining weight is simple mathematics. You are eating more than you are burning. Most people don't know what they burn in a given day. So if you don't know that then how do you know what you need to burn to lose weight. So bottom... More -
Barb MacGillivary - NASM Elite Trainer answered:Weight gain occurs when you are consuming more calories than you are burning. In contrast, you lose weight when you are burning more calories throughout the day than you consume. If you notice that you have been putting on weight, it often helps to track your food intake for at least one week to see where you might be consuming hidden calories that could be contributing to your weight gain. In addition, start moving more to burn calories. Simple activities such as walking for 30 minutes everyday can help create the calorie deficit needed to lose excess weight.
Weight gain occurs when you are consuming more calories than you are burning. In contrast, you lose weight when you are burning more calories throughout the day than you consume. If you notice that you have been putting on weight, it often helps to... More -
Kat Barefield - Sharecare Fitness Expert answered:You gain weight when you consistently eat more calories than your body burns. Those extra calories get stored for later use. This is helpful for periods of famine, however, most people in developed countries do not go through famine. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Our environment is filled with high-calorie, tempting foods that are cheap and easily accessible. These foods are easy to overeat and crowd out more healthful options. To compound the problem, our lifestyles encourage sedentary work and entertainment while technology decreases the need to walk, move and do manual labor.
Most people don’t intend to gain weight – it happens by making poor food choices and by not being sufficiently active. Our surroundings can have a strong negative influence on our behavior if we do not purposefully resist it. Therefore, it’s critical to study your environment and take action to make better food choices, control stress, get adequate sleep and incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. These are essential for you to successfully manage your weight.
You gain weight when you consistently eat more calories than your body burns. Those extra calories get stored for later use. This is helpful for periods of famine, however, most people in developed countries do not go through famine. In fact, it is... More
