Why do people get fat? Causes. How to avoid weight gain?

Contents of the article:

• Main causes of obesity
• Why do some people eat and not get fat?
• Why don't French women get fat?
• How to avoid weight gain?
• Why do people get fat when they quit smoking?
• Video about 10 habits that can make you gain weight

Excess weight is one of the common problems of modern people. There are more and more overweight people; every third person on the planet suffers from obesity. There are many reasons for this, a person gets fat due to poor nutrition or illness. Therefore, first it is important to understand why this happens, and then build a weight loss strategy.

Main causes of obesity

Everything is individual. In each case, the appearance of a fatty layer is due to different factors. We will list the main ones that most people who gain weight are exposed to:

1. Frequent stress . Our body is designed in such a way that during times of stress, it tries to provoke the production of the hormone of joy (endorphin) in order to maintain the “owner” in a good mood. Among other things, the concentration of this hormone increases when we eat;
2. Physical inactivity is a violation of all body functions due to low mobility. Physical inactivity affects the metabolism of substances and energy; fats entering the body are poorly broken down, the blood becomes fatty and flows slowly through the vessels, which not only leads to obesity. It's a ticking time bomb;
3. Problems with hormones in the body . This occurs more often in women. Associated symptoms may be: menstrual irregularities, pressure surges and decreased libido in men;
4. High blood sugar sometimes leads to uncontrolled weight gain;
5. Chronic kidney and digestive system diseases;
6. Poor nutrition . 40% of all cases of obesity are elementary gluttony.

There are, of course, other factors, hereditary predisposition, for example. But they are either rare or have unconfirmed status.

Why do some people eat and not get fat?

Surely everyone has a friend who, to the envy of everyone, has an excellent appetite and a slender figure. He says: “I eat as much as I want and look at me.” Why is life so unfair?

Neither scientists nor doctors can give a definite answer. There are several assumptions:

• The concept of “a lot” is entirely subjective. You can find out how much a person who is not getting fat really eats only by diligently writing down his menu. And most likely it will turn out that a plate of salad and broth from the soup are “too much” for him. He simply has no idea how much others eat;
• Again, you can eat a lot of vegetables or a lot of fatty meats and sweets. What we eat is also important ;
• How many calories does your skinny friend spend? He probably runs all day for work or plays sports. If the number of calories consumed is less than the calories burned, he will not gain weight. Although there are many plump people who are so energetic that they will give any athlete a head start.

There is no clear answer. Therefore, scientists have come to the conclusion that weight is a genetic program that can be adjusted through diet and lifestyle.

Why do people get fat as they age?

After about thirty years, aging processes begin to actively manifest themselves in the human body. This is due to the natural degradation of all vital systems that determine the functioning of the body. It is at this age that all the consequences and effects on the body that occurred earlier begin to appear. Bad habits, poor lifestyle, obvious genetic predispositions, and so on. One of the signs of aging is an increase in the amount of fat deposits, which lead to excess weight. Among the reasons that lead to obesity are: Decreased muscle mass. On average, a person (depending on gender and genetic predisposition) loses from 1.5 to 2% of muscle tissue per year. And since the amount of calories consumed remains unchanged, it is actively replaced by fat. Which takes up 2.5 times more volume than muscles, so visually, even with a constant weight, a person begins to look much more obese. Changes in hormonal levels. This process occurs especially noticeably in men. The level of testosterone (male sex hormone) decreases every year, which in turn increases the percentage of body fat. A different process occurs in the female body; an excess of the female sex hormone (estrogen) appears, which is responsible for reproductive function. One of the features of this hormone is the accumulation of adipose tissue to ensure the development of the fetus (especially the proper development of the baby’s brain).

IMPORTANT: Since with age, an imbalance of hormonal systems occurs in the female body, the amount of estrogen ends up in excess, which leads to the accumulation of excess weight.

Slowing metabolism. In most cases, the metabolic rate slows down, which leads to the accumulation of fatty tissue due to excess calories.

Why don't French women get fat?

What about French women, are they born and haven’t heard of genetics? French cuisine is high in calories, and most of the girls are slim.

French women, they say, do not count calories. The main thing they are accustomed to is leaving the table without feeling heavy . And don't forget about quality. French supermarkets have a huge selection of products, and cafes can be seen on every corner. But if in America the quality of food in catering establishments leaves much to be desired, here everything is fresh and made conscientiously.

In addition, the French are sure that food should be varied. Firstly, when there are several dishes, there is a break between them, and this allows you to get full faster. Secondly, this way we will provide ourselves with a variety of elements, which gives us a feeling of satiety.

And no snacks. They eat strictly 3 times a day and always in an appropriate environment. You need to prepare for a meal, sit down at the table, and not grab it on the run. Then the food is absorbed better.

And most importantly, all French people are sure that being fat is shameful and inconvenient.

How to avoid weight gain?

Today there are a huge number of diets. But any self-medication can be harmful. The diet should be prescribed by a doctor, based on the results of tests and examinations.

However, there are basic principles that should be the norm for a person who wants to stay in shape and maintain proper nutrition:

• Plan your diet so that it contains a small calorie deficit;
• With a calorie deficit, not only fats are burned, but also muscle mass. Don't let this happen. Provide yourself with strength and cardio exercises (fast walking, slow running) in combination;
• Drink a glass of warm water in the morning to speed up metabolic processes in the body;
• Plain water should be sufficiently supplied to the body throughout the day; it is necessary for the breakdown of fats;
• Eat small, frequent meals;
• Eat separately - do not combine proteins and fats, fats and carbohydrates, take a break between meals of different types of food;
• Get enough sleep;
• Don’t try to lose weight quickly, lose no more than 1% of your weight per week;
• Avoid stress.

And, of course, don’t expect quick results, don’t focus on them – it’s stressful. If enough time has passed and there is no effect, change your diet. Contact an endocrinologist, there may be problems with hormones. The main thing is don’t be nervous and don’t give up .

How to regain your slimness?

Regaining your toned appearance is much more difficult than maintaining it. To do this you will have to go to great lengths. And first of all, you need to change your bad eating habits. In this case, it will be necessary to carry out a whole range of measures, which should include the following:

• creating a diet aimed at creating a calorie deficit;
• the use of rational nutrition, both in the selection of products and in its mode;
• performing a combination of strength and cardio exercises to maintain muscle mass and burn fat deposits.

Typically, success in achieving a slim body depends 70% on nutrition and 30% on physical activity, and this is confirmed by practice. It is the creation of a calorie deficit that allows you to get rid of excess weight, but usually the human body loses mainly muscle mass. Therefore, physical activity is also necessary to maintain it. Therefore, it is necessary to make a proper training plan.

It should be remembered that there are three types of fat deposits in the human body:

• subcutaneous;
• visceral (on internal organs);
• genital (stomach and thighs in women, stomach and chest in men).

IMPORTANT: The first and second types of fat deposits are easily burned when using cardio exercises. In the case of sex, men need strength loads that trigger the production of the male hormone - testosterone. For women, everything is much more complex; in the case of hormonal obesity, it is necessary to analyze the hormonal levels and bring them into order using medicinal methods. Otherwise, it is quite difficult and sometimes impossible to achieve significant changes in the amount of body fat.

Why do people get fat when they quit smoking?

Everyone knows that when you start smoking, you gradually lose weight. But once you give up a bad habit, you immediately gain back what you lost with interest. Why?

There are several reasons:

• A cigarette smoked before a meal kills your appetite. Therefore, when you don’t smoke, you feel hungrier;
• The smoking process itself requires about 20 kcal per cigarette. If you eat a pack a day, you burn 400 kcal, which is about 1 kg of weight per month “minus”;
• When you give up cigarettes, your body requires replacement. Usually these are seeds or candies.

Thus, when you quit smoking, you begin to eat more, consume 400 fewer calories per month, become nervous more often and, as a result, gain weight.

However, don’t be afraid to quit, not everyone gets fat and not necessarily. Everything is individual, especially since you can increase physical activity and create a small calorie deficit.

Despite everything, doctors are sure that there is no disease in which it is impossible to control your weight. Yes, in some cases it is difficult to do this, since the program in the body is disrupted. But you can lose weight; for this, the main thing for a person is to find out why he is getting fat and what he wants to achieve.

Why do people get fat: psychology

Modern scientists believe that one of the main causes of obesity is stress, to which modern people are increasingly exposed. It has been proven that long, full sleep has a huge impact on the level of metabolism and the normal functioning of the human hormonal system. It is during night sleep that the body manages to test and regulate all the restorative processes that are launched by the body. And as you know, the biggest opponents of sleep are psychological stress and disorders. In addition, under the influence of stress, many people develop a behavioral stereotype that is associated with food intake. Moreover, this behavior is usually caused by the subconscious need not only to saturate the body, but also to irritate pleasure centers, which allow one to partially neutralize psychological negativity. As a result, the body receives an excess amount of calories, which are stored in fat cells. Another psychological factor in the appearance of excess weight can be called eating habits and lifestyle. Many people, due to various circumstances, form a certain stereotype of behavior in everyday life. There are many factors here, which are usually complex. These include the habit of eating a hearty dinner before bed, not having breakfast, taking long breaks in meals, not drinking enough water, eating fast food, periodically drinking alcohol, and much more.

IMPORTANT: All these complex bad habits create an ideal environment so that a person cannot break out of the vicious circle: psychological stress - unhealthy lifestyle - physiological stress - obesity. Therefore, it is often the fight against one’s own habits that is the starting point for preventing excess weight and getting a healthy and fit body.