Conventional wisdom says Americans have gotten fat because they eat too much and exercise too little, but a new study in The International Journal of Obesity lists other possible causes of weight gain. The researchers reviewed more than 100 obesity studies and concluded that 10 other factors have contributed to the nations collective weight gain. The researchers from The International Journal of Obesity write that they found “supportive (although not conclusive)” evidence for each of the factors on their list that is “as compelling as the evidence for more commonly discussed putative explanations.”  (Meaning that these causes seem to be as valid as our most common causes of obesity.  I believe that each individual is effected by a variety of issues that ultimately lead them to weight gain. Take a look at the list and see if any of these factors may contribute to your weight issues.  I would like your thoughts on the topic, and some other lesser known things you believe may cause obesity. We will dovetail off this list to create our own.)

1 – Birds of a feather: Humans with similar body types tend to mate, thus passing along genes that contribute to obesity (The same can often be said for smokers and drinkers, as they tend to hang together due to common practices.).

2 – Pollution: Environmental toxins can disrupt the normal activity of hormones that regulate fat metabolism, causing side effects that may lead to metabolic changes and weight gain.

3 – Air Conditioning and Central Heating: We spend more and more of our lives in temperature controlled environments, which means we need to burn fewer calories to regulate our bodies thermostat. We let machines do all the work.  Instead of letting our bodies regulate our temperature through sweating and getting goose-bumps and such. They regulation of temperature burns calories, and technological advances have caused us to burn considerably fewer by this process.

4 – Decreased Smoking: Studies show that smokers weigh less than nonsmokers and that those who quit typically gain weight. It is common for recent quitters to gain weight, often due to oral fixations making food replace cigarettes. (But that still doesn’t make smoking a good weight loss strategy.)

5 – Drug Side Effects: A whole raft of commonly used prescription drugs – antidepressants, contraceptives, blood pressure and diabetes medicines, antihistamines, and mood stabilizers – cause people to gain weight and in some cases, lots of weight. This can caused by water retention or slowing of the metabolism.

6 – Later in Life Pregnancies: Older mothers are more likely than young mothers to have overweight or obese children, and difficulties regaining their former pre-pregnancy weight.

7 – Societal changes: As our population ages and our ethnic mix gets shuffled, groups with a higher prevalence of obesity are becoming larger segments of our population.

8 – Sleep Deprivation: Studies show that not getting enough sleep increases hunger and appetite and may cause hormonal changes that lead to weight gain. Try to get 6 – 7 hours of shut eye. (Oversleeping may cause weight gain as well, so getting the proper amount of rest is very important!!)

9 – Genetic Causes: Environmentally caused weight gain in earlier generations can become imbedded in genes that then get passed to future generations.

10 – Fertility Factors: Overweight women tend to be more fertile than their skinny counterparts, meaning that future generations stand a better chance of inheriting overweight genes. 

I am interested to hear how you feel about these Overlooked Causes of Obesity.  Please let me know your thoughts on this list and any other factors you think should be on the list, and I will address them in my next blog.

Thanks again for your time and support!!

From the Desk of…
Dr. Evelyn R. Wells

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