Obesity is commonplace. More than 42 percent of Americans are obese. The rate of obesity has gone up by 12 percentage points over the last 20 years. 

One reason why is that there are many causes of obesity. Yet very few people understand what causes obesity and why. 

What are genetic and biological reasons for obesity? What about the American lifestyle lends itself to weight gain? What ingredients and medications should you avoid? 

Answer these questions, and you can become an expert on how to prevent weight gain. Here is your quick guide. 

Genetics 

Obesity runs through families. The fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) can affect the levels of ghrelin in a person’s body. Ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates appetite and changes how a person stores fat. 

A 2017 study found that people with the FTO gene had higher rates of binge eating disorders. The gene may impact brain function, modulating the response of cells to food cues. This can cause a person to eat more. 

This does not mean that it is a foregone conclusion that a person cannot lose weight if they do happen to carry the genetic profile making it harder to lose weight.  It just means they need more personalized strategies to overcome their genetics. 

Check out my previous blog that takes a deeper dive into genetics and weight gain. 

Genetics may be only one reason why obesity runs from generation to generation. 

Food Addiction 

Your brain contains centers that produce hormones for productive activities. When you eat a delicious meal or exercise, your brain produces dopamine, which makes you feel joyous. This encourages you to do the same thing over and over again. 

Sugar, saturated fat, and salt stimulate dopamine production. This encourages a person to eat more of those substances.

Enough consumption of sugary foods can distort the brain itself. It stops producing hormones for healthy activities and only produces them for unhealthy foods. 

Food addiction is independent of food cravings. Some people crave unhealthy foods, but they can resist their cravings.

Addiction impacts the brain and is very difficult to resist. It requires extensive behavioural support as part of a weight loss plan in order to manage this challenge so a person can stick to their plan more closely.

Sedentary Lifestyle

More and more people work in offices. They sit at desks all day, burning very few calories. When they go home, they sit in front of a screen. This situation has certainly increased since Covid with so many people working from home. 

Fewer people are exercising. Only 53 percent of adults meet the CDC’s guidelines for aerobic and cardiovascular exercise. 

A sedentary lifestyle triggers obesity in several ways. The less exercise a person performs, the fewer calories they use up. But it is so much more complex than just calorie in/calorie out.  

Exercise  also encourages hormone production. Working out can keep a person’s insulin levels stable, preventing weight gain. Even little things like climbing stairs can help. It can increase growth hormone and stimulate increase muscle mass which increase a person’s metabolic rate meaning their body is burning more calories at rest.

In our modern world with so many conveniences the question has been asked:  Is our obesity epidemic due to just too much fat or not enough muscle?  As we become more sedentary, we lose muscle mass so our metabolism slows down and then we start storing more fat.

Sleep Deprivation 

People eat food so they can feel energized throughout the day. If they don’t get enough sleep, they may continue eating so they can stay awake. 

Sleep deprivation can also impact levels of ghrelin. The brain triggers ghrelin production when it is deprived of sleep. Conversely, the brain produces less insulin when it is tired. 

Sleep-deprived people may not feel the energy to go and exercise. They may eat more and they may burn less, triggering obesity. 

Processed Ingredients 

A person can become obese eating too much of any food. But processed ingredients trigger obesity far more than natural ones. They can also induce several medical problems related to obesity. 

Processed sugar offers no substantial health benefits. Most forms of it are half glucose and half fructose. Fructose encourages blood cells to resist insulin, triggering obesity and diabetes. 

Non-sugar additives may be even worse. As the name suggests, high fructose corn syrup contains extreme levels of fructose. It can trigger type 2 diabetes with enough consumption, yet it is present in a number of foods. 

Trans fats are artificial fats that manufacturers put into processed meats and desserts. It can raise bad cholesterol while lowering good cholesterol. It can trigger cardiovascular problems, including heart disease. 

Many of these foods are now called UPF – Ultra Processed Food and there is so much research indicating how these foods are designed to trigger binge eating making it harder to resist them and they are also known to increase inflammation which results in more water retention but more importantly is the underlying mechanism behind several chronic diseases  

Medications 

Several medications lead people to gain weight. Antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants can induce weight gain over several months. 

This may be because these medications induce drowsiness. If a person feels too tired to exercise, they may not work out. Keep in mind that side effects can vary, which makes it hard to understand why medications may cause obesity. 

It is important to understand if a medication you are taking is contributing to  your weight gain so you can be proactive and avoid this unfortunate side effect of the medications that you need to take. 

Misinformation 

Scientists debate obesity causes. Some argue that saturated fats cause obesity, while others assert that carbohydrates are the cause. This results in many people overeating carbs or fats, which causes weight gain. 

There is plenty of misinformation about how to start losing weight. Some authors say they have foolproof solutions for weight loss, but they just endorse unhealthy eating habits. They may not teach a person how to set health goals, making it hard to track progress. 

Many people are not aware of the signs of obesity. They do not know when a person becomes overweight or obese. 

Some of this misinformation comes from marketing. Fast and junk food manufacturers have substantial marketing budgets. They use terms like “all-natural” that conceal the caloric and fatty nature of their food. 

Marketing is especially a concern for obesity in children. Fast food chains target children with mascots and product placement in movies. 

As you can see obesity is a multifactorial health issue.  This is why in my weight loss programs we focus on the 3 critical contributing factor, body, mindset and lifestyle.

If you want to learn more about the 3 main obstacles to weight loss and how to take into consideration all these elements then join us at one of our Live Online Inner Circle Sessions.  During this presentation you will learn what you need to do  so you can lose weight, develop a mindset and habits so you can keep it off and ultimately live a healthy lifestyle that allows for more flexibility so it does not feel like you have to live a lifestyle of perpetual deprivation If you cannot find a date that works for you to attend one of our Inner Circle Sessions then book a 15 minute assessment call where I can assess your challenges and identify what it is you need to do differently so you can look and feel your best.