More than 500 million people around the world are obese, but our weight is the result of many factors and junk food is not always the culprit. We decide to investigate the causes of overweight and obesity and we collected results from several scientific studies.
Here are nine surprising causes of weight gain that you should know about.
Why Do I Gain Weight When I Eat Less
Avoiding Family Meals
Studies show that family meals can protect us from obesity and being overweight. The reason is that getting together to eat can provide opportunities to establish emotional connections between family members and encourage healthy eating habits.
According to the results of the studies, children who shared family meals at least three times a week were 24% more likely to eat healthy foods than those who shared meals less frequently.
Year Of Birth
If you were born after 1942, pay attention. The researchers found that the risk of obesity is highly dependent on the year of birth.
Obesity-prone people with an FTO (fat mass associated with obesity) gene mutation are more likely to be overweight if they are born after 1942.
Classical Music In Restaurants
One study found that more food and coffee are consumed in restaurants with classical music playing in the background. Something to consider if you also want to reduce your spending.
Working At Night
People are programmed to sleep when there is no light and to eat during the day. Working at night makes you gain weight because it breaks the physiological cycle, causing a decrease in total daily energy expenditure.
If you exercise at night, the solution to avoid weight gain is to eat less.
Watching Too Much TV
Spending more than two hours sitting in front of the television every day increases the risk of obesity by 23%. Sleeping with the television on also increases your risk.
According to a study, exposure to artificial light at night while sleeping reduces levels of melatonin, a hormone that protects us from metabolic disorders that lead to obesity and diabetes.
Stress, Depression, Anxiety…
Women who experience PTSD gain weight faster and are more prone to obesity than those who do not. But there is good news: by reducing the symptoms of this disorder, the risk of obesity is greatly reduced.
On the other hand, more than half of people respond to stress by eating, especially foods high in fat and sugar. The scientific explanation is that this type of food influences the reward center of the brain.
Eating ‘low-fat’ Foods
One study found that eating high-fat dairy products is correlated with a lower risk of developing central obesity, as they are more filling than fat-free or light products.
Also, studies say that many products that are advertised as low in fat have more calories than those that are not.
Preview photo credit depositphotos
Based on materials from El País
