Reasons For Weight Gain

• Obesity

Reasons For Weight Gain

Simply put, people gain weight when the amount of calories put into the body are higher than the calories burnt off. If you consume more calories than you use in your daily life, the excess calories are stored in the body as fat. 

 

How Many Calories Do I Need?

The amount of calories you need every day depends on your weight, height, muscle mass and metabolism. Your resting metabolism rate (RMR) is the number of calories your body uses to control involuntary actions such as breathing. The body also uses calories to digest food that is eaten - generally 10% of your daily calorie intake. On top of the calories needed to keep the body functioning as normal, you need additional calories for the energy you burn through physical activity.

Although the amount of calories you need to maintain or loose weight depends on the individual person, a rough guide is 2000 calories a day for women and 2500 calories a day for men. 

How Many Extra Calories A Day Cause Weight Gain?

People with a low metabolism, caused by inactivity or health problems, need to reduce their calorie intake to under the recommended level to prevent weight gain; other people gain weight by only adding cream to their morning coffee. Generally speaking, 1lb of weight gain is caused by an additional 3500 calories in a diet so an extra 500 calories a day will cause a pound a week weight gain.

Are There Medical Reasons For Weight Gain?

Yes. Although weight gain is caused by health problems in only 1% of obese patients, there are medical reasons for excess weight.

 

Under-active thyroid - If the thyroid glands don't produce enough thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism), metabolism slows and weight gain occurs if calorie intake is not reduced. 

 

PCOS - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome that causes cysts on the ovaries and hormone imbalances affects 5% of women and is often diagnosed by the weight gain that is a symptom.

 

Diabetes - Patients who require insulin therapy to control diabetes often gain weight.

 

Medication - Medication, such as steroids, antidepressants and contraceptive pills sometimes causes weight gain as a side effect.  

 

Cushings Syndrome - A rare condition that prevents the body producing the hormone cortisol which helps regulate metabolism

 

If you have a BMI of 30+ and are struggling to loose weight, see a doctor. Your weight gain could be the cause of an underlying medical problem or you could be a candidate for bariatric surgery.

Find a bariatric surgeon to learn more about reasons for weight gain.