Are you overweight, but you don’t know why? Of course you know that food causes obesity. Taking in more calories than you expend is a surefire path to weight gain. But there are other conditions and considerations that may be contributing to your weight gain.
In this article, we’ll talk about:
- The most common causes of weight gain and obesity
- Considerations you may not have thought of that could cause weight gain
- The role genetics plays in making you fat
Are you ready to learn what causes most weight gain? Here are the 13 most common reasons for weight gain and obesity.
1. Genetics
You’re not fat just because your mom was. But it’s true: genetics plays a large part in determining whether you’ll be obese as an adult, or even as a child.
Children of parents who are overweight or obese are much more likely to be obese, and that goes for adult children, too. A large part of this is “nature,” or the role your DNA plays in determining your weight and your body’s propensity to gain. But, do realize that nurture is one of the leading causes of obesity and being overweight, too.
For instance, parents who are obese are more likely to feed their children the wrong foods, as they eat these foods themselves. Those children grow up with certain habits that cause weight gain, leading to obesity later in life.
Just because your parents were obese doesn’t mean you will be. Diet and exercise is a great way to counter obesity, regardless of the gene pool you came from.
- Children whose parents were obese are more inclined to weight gain themselves.
- Learned nutritional habits play a large part in this.
- DNA and genetics are also a factor.
2. Eating the wrong foods
Obviously, you know that eating junk foods like chips and cookies is going to cause weight gain when not done in moderation. But even people who eat only whole foods can be subject to weight gain, too.
Take, for instance, a vegetarian or vegan. These people eat only plant-based foods, and many are mindful of their diets, choosing whole and fresh foods. But there are oodles of vegan products on the market that aren’t good for you at all. For example, there are “animal-free” ice creams, cookies and not so healthy items that are causes of being overweight and obesity.
It’s not just the veg crowd that falls prey to eating the wrong foods. Not getting a balanced diet filled with nutritious, whole foods can cause weight gain. It can be as simple as choosing white bread over whole grain. Take a look at the other guides on this site to get a better idea of the foods you should be eating.
- Eating the wrong foods can lead to obesity and weight gain
- Even if you eat fresh, whole foods you can still become obese
- Be sure to fill your diet with nutritious, balanced foods
3. Your medications
As you watch television, listen to the ads for medication. Or, as you’re flipping through your magazine, read the fine print for those medication advertisements.
You’ll quickly notice that a large percentage of medications list weight gain as a possible side effect. This goes for antidepressants, antibiotics, contraceptives and many more. This happens for two reasons. The first is that medications can alter the way your brain works, making you more likely to overeat. The second is that they can alter the way your body works and processes the foods you eat.
If you’ve begun taking medications, it’s especially important to monitor your eating habits and your exercise routines. Check with your doctor to determine if there are any specific dietary guidelines you must adhere to. Then, if necessary, work with a nutritionist to counter the side effects of your medications, as medicine is one of the most common causes of being overweight and obesity.
- Prescription medications may list weight gain as a side effect
- These drugs may alter the way your brain works or the way your body processes food
- Check with your doctor and nutritionist if you have concerns or questions
4. The availability and cost of food
If you have five dollars in your bank account and have a child to feed, what do you do? Do you opt for a pound of fresh tomatoes and a loaf of whole grain bread? Or do you go to the fast food chain and order a larger meal for both of you?
Food availability is one of the leading causes of obesity and being overweight. Junk foods and unhealthy snacks are absolutely everywhere, and it’s cheap. Manufacturers use refined sugars, refined oils and other processed ingredients because they’re extremely cheap, offering huge profit margins. All around the world, people opt for these fast, inexpensive options.
There’s also the issue of literal availability. Imagine you’re in a small urban area, and have no vehicle or access to public transportation. Your most likely option is simply to walk to the corner store and pick up something to eat. They may have a cooler with, say, hot dogs and eggs. But the majority of the food available is junk like soda, candy and chips. You’re limited in options, and that’s more likely to make you obese.
This is a huge social issue worldwide, affecting low income neighborhoods and people who are, themselves, in a low income demographic.
- Affordable foods are often very unhealthy
- Manufacturers use cheap ingredients like refined sugars and processed oils
- People who are in low income areas are more likely to only have access to unhealthy foods
5. Physical inactivity
You’re more prone to weight gain and obesity if you’re inactive, and that’s just science. Whether you feed yourself and your family whole, fresh foods or opt for unhealthy choices, you’re more likely to be overweight if you’re not moving your body.
Exercise is a very important component of maintaining a healthy weight. As you may know, the rule is that weight loss happens when you expend more calories than you take in. You may also know that muscle burns more fat than fat does. Therefore, it’s critical that you get your body moving in order to lose weight and maintain that healthy body mass index.
Physical activity, as you might expect, is one of the most common causes of obesity and being overweight.
- Physical inactivity is a huge contributor to weight gain and obesity
- Maintaining a healthy weight relies on expending more calories than you consume
- Getting exercise is a critical part of a healthy lifestyle
6. Lack of sleep
Poor sleep and lack of sleep is another cause of weight gain and obesity. Most people associate sleep with inactivity and lethargy, but that’s just not true. A healthy sleep routine is important to maintaining a good weight, and lack of sleep will hinder weight loss progress.
Your body depends on natural sleep cycles and the hormonal release associated with them to lose weight and retain a healthy body mass index. Doctors recommend that adults get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Some people may need a little more, some a little less. But overall, this is a good framework for proper sleep hygiene.
The hormones you release during sleep help to impact both the way your brain functions (like your appetite) and the way your body uses energy, both at night and during the day. Have you ever been up very late and found yourself absolutely famished? That’s natural. Getting good sleep will help to combat this.
If you find yourself unable to sleep, try changing your bedtime routine. Drink a glass of milk or eat a small portion of cottage cheese. Relax in the bath, or read a book. Turn off the television and your other electronics, and prepare your bedroom for rest. Most importantly, your bedroom should only be used for sleep.
Healthy sleep habits are important to your health, as lack of sleep is one of the most common causes of obesity and being overweight.
- Doctors recommend that adults get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night
- Your body depends upon sleep to release the appropriate hormones
- Good sleep hygiene includes establishing a proper bedtime routine
7. The area in which you live
We’ve touched on this a bit, but the area in which you live can play a huge part in weight gain and obesity. There are many factors which will come into play, regardless of whether you live in an urban, suburban or rural area. Your neighborhood is included in the causes of being overweight and obesity.
First of all, you may not have access to outdoor space, or other places you can get out and about. Parks, public pools and even sidewalks are a few examples of this. Secondly, as we discussed, your access to quality, healthy foods may be limited. You may be served oversized portions of fatty, salty and cheap food (think fast food).
Conversely, you may be forced to commute everywhere. If you live in a rural environment, it’s possible you commute 10 minutes to the local grocery store or as much as an hour to work. Sitting in your car, or even on a commuter train, is less healthy than biking or walking to work or to the store.
- Where you live plays a role in weight gain and obesity
- Your access to healthy foods is one example of this
- Access to outdoor space like parks and sidewalks can play a role as well
8. Stress
When you’re stressed, you’re more at risk for weight gain and obesity. There are a plethora of reasons for this, so we’ll just go into the most likely causes.
First, when you’re stressed your body releases a hormone called cortisol. This hormone changes the way your body uses substances like glucose. It can also affect your muscles, causing them to burn less energy than if you were carefree.
Secondly, some people tend to overeat when they’re stressed. This, of course, is a surefire way to gain weight and become obese.
If you find you’re stressed, take some time for yourself. Take a “sick” day from work if you can. If you can’t, then just take a walk, take a bath or take a cup of hot chamomile tea. Get a massage, talk to a friend or, in the most extreme cases, visit with a counselor. Whatever you do, find ways to manage your stress because stress is one of the leading causes of being overweight and obesity.
- Stress causes weight gain and obesity
- When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol which changes the way you metabolize and burn energy
- People who are stressed may also tend to overeat, causing weight gain and obesity
9. Food addiction
Food addiction, like alcoholism and even addiction to drugs, is a very real thing. There are quite a few reasons for food addiction. It may be caused by hormonal or chemical imbalances. It may also be caused by childhood trauma or certain types of PTSD.
Food addiction is a tricky thing to break, because obviously you can’t just quit eating cold turkey as you could with cigarettes or alcohol. You need food to survive! If you think you may be addicted to food, it’s important to meet with your doctor. He or she can chat with you about possible solutions, such as medication, counseling or simply talking to a nutritionist.
It can be difficult to tell if you’re addicted to food. But a few good signs are:
- Hiding food so no one knows you’re eating
- Feeling guilty after you eat
- Separating yourself from others to eat
- Financial problems caused by food
- If you continue to eat even when you’re not hungry
- You borrow or steal money to buy food
Food addiction isn’t as immediately threatening as drug or alcohol addiction, but it certainly has life-threatening long-term effects. If you feel as if you’re addicted to food, please talk to your doctor right away. Food addiction is one of the most common causes of being overweight and obesity.
10. Aggressive marketing
Think about when you were a child. You might see a television advertisement for some toy or vacation destination and immediately just “know” that you had to have it. Even as adult, you may have experienced the same.
The thing is, marketers and advertisers are sneaky and deceptive. Their job description is to play on your emotions, your fears and your desire to care for your family in order to sell you a product.
People who advertise food are the same way. Let’s look at an example. One of the most recent fads in health is the “gluten free diet.” Now, please understand – only 1-2% of all people globally suffer from celiac disease. Celiac disease is the inability to process the protein gluten, which is found in cereals like wheat.
So, you decide you’re going to lose weight on a gluten free diet. You run to the grocery store and check out all the options available to you. There’s gluten free ice cream! Great! Gluten free wine! Awesome! Gluten free pork rinds! Fantastic!
You load up your cart because all these products are advertised and marketed to be healthy in some way, shape or form. Unfortunately, you’ve just made a series of very bad decisions – decisions that are among the most common causes of being overweight and obesity.
It’s not just gluten-free stuff. “All natural” is another, as is “organic.” “Sugar free” could include potato chips, mayonnaise – it could literally include a tub of lard.
Rather than focus on the marketing, focus on the ingredients. Read the nutrition labels and pay attention to what you’re putting in your cart. Ignore the advertisements and use your common sense.
- Aggressive marketing can trick people into buying unhealthy products
- Fads and trends also can contribute to obesity and weight gain
- Read nutrition labels and use common sense
11. Steroids
Whether you’re taking steroids to increase your body mass or taking them for medical purposes like multiple sclerosis or respiratory disease, steroids can certainly contribute to obesity and weight gain. In fact, weight gain is one of the most common side effects of these drugs, so it’s important that you be mindful of your nutritional intake when you’re on these drugs.
You may be prescribed steroids by a doctor if you’ve been diagnosed with diseases like Crohn’s, asthma, arthritis and even some types of cancer. If you are, take the time to speak with your doctor about how to counter this particularly inconvenient side effect of the drug.
If you’re deliberately taking steroids to increase your body mass, it’s critical that you talk to a doctor and know the risks. Steroids can be dangerous if not taken under the guidance of a physician, and it’s important that you weigh the pros and cons.
Improper use of steroids is one of the most common causes of being overweight and obesity.
- Steroids can help reduce inflammation associated with certain diseases
- Your doctor may prescribe these drugs for conditions like arthritis and asthma
- No matter your reason for taking steroids, always consult with a doctor first
12. Overeating
This cause of weight gain and obesity is so obvious, we almost didn’t include it. But this is, after all, a list of the most common causes of obesity and being overweight, and overeating is definitely up there.
There are several factors which will determine how many calories you need each day. These include your age, sex, weight, activity level and health conditions you may have. Generally speaking, a healthy adult female needs around 2,000 calories each day to maintain a healthy weight. A man will need slightly more, around 2,200.
Taking in more calories than that will cause weight gain. If you frequently overeat, you will absolutely gain weight, and that’s even more so if you’re not exercising.
Frequently, people just don’t know how many calories they’re consuming each day. For example, do you know how many calories were in your lunch? Here’s an example: a multinational fast food chain sells a salad that contains 480 calories. We won’t name names, but this is a very large chain. You thought you were making a healthy choice, but instead you consumed almost half your daily allowance of calories.
Soft drinks and other “incidentals” are also a problem. You may not consider the calories in that cola, or the samples you ate at the grocery store. It all adds up. So while you may not be overeating deliberately, you’re still consuming more calories than your body needs.
- Overeating doesn’t just mean binge eating
- Eating more calories than your body needs is overeating
- Many people don’t know how many calories they’re consuming in a snack, meal or even drinks
13. Eating frequency
Last on the list of the most common causes of obesity and weight gain is a surprising one: eating frequency. We’ve already discussed that you need a certain number of calories each day to maintain a healthy weight. But should you eat them all at once? Or spread them out throughout the day?
If you ate one huge meal per day but nothing else, you may be able to lose or maintain your weight. But recent studies have shown that spreading foods out throughout the day is more likely to contribute to a lower incidence of obesity, and may even encourage weight gain.
Eating throughout the day is called “grazing.” When you graze, you do two things. First, you give your metabolism a chance to process the foods, helping you to absorb nutrients and use the appropriate amount of energy to digest them.
Secondly, you give your brain a chance to recognize that you’re not hungry. Furthermore, even if you do get hungry, it’s possible to grab a healthy snack to tide you over, like a handful of nuts or some yogurt and berries.
While it may seem logical to eat just one or two large meals, talk to your doctor. The frequency at which you eat is one of the most common causes of being overweight and obesity.
- Studies show that grazing throughout the day can help you lose or maintain weight
- Grazing keeps your metabolism burning effectively and your body processing nutrients
- Grazing also allows your body to register that you’re no longer hungry
Summary
Too much of the wrong food makes you fat. Lack of exercise makes you fat, too. But there are other, less frequently considered causes of obesity. In fact, even the place where you live may be a factor in determining whether you’re subject to weight gain.
From medications to genetics, there are many reasons you may be obese, or may find yourself gaining weight. If you’ve tried diet and exercise but still can’t seem to lose, consult a doctor to rule out any other potential causes of weight gain and obesity.