What are the main reasons for Obesity?
I am 24 year guy from New York USA. I am 110 kg and my height is 5 feet 7 inches. Even though I am eating less I am gaining weight more and more for last few months. Please reply the normal cause for gaining weight?
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It could be any number of things.
You should have your doctor check you out.
I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful than that.
Maybe some other people in the collective will have some insight.
According to google 110kg translates into 249.5lbs (there you go jellies, I saved you some time).
What did you weigh before all this started?
Do people in NY typically use kg? I’d think not.
I agree that you should see a doctor. Normally I hate when certain jellies assume every problem is caused by some type of medical issue, but I digress. There are quite a few physiological reasons you could be gaining weight, such as a thyroid problem. Speak to your doctor about it, especially considering this is a more recent problem. Okay, I must move on. I’m annoying myself.
What do you mean by “eating less?” My concern is that you may not be eating enough. At your height/weight, you should maintain that weight at about 2500 calories a day. This means that you should eat about 1875–2000 calories per day to lose weight. Now, that’s net calories. You should eat more on days you work out.
When we eat too little, our body thinks it’s starving. Our metabolism slows and our body kicks into fat-saving mode. When we eat, our bodies grab onto those calories for dear life, because who knows when it’ll get food again? Our bodies need food for energy. Eating 5–6 small meals a day (about 400 calories each) will keep you satisfied and your metabolism up throughout the day. It’s not about eating less, it’s about eating better. Also, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water.
If you’re eating a sufficient number of calories, definitely see a doctor.
Gargantuan portions of food & lack of self discipline.
There are all sorts of reasons I suppose,
But in nearly all cases it is…
Too many calories, and/or not enough exercise. In some cases, so many calories that there simply isn’t enough exercise to utilize them.
Welcome to Fluther.
Understood that you’re living in New York City. But just out of curiosity, where are you really from? You’re obviously not a native New Yorker or even a native English speaker. While we welcome people from all over – we really do – we don’t like people to misrepresent themselves.
To respond to the question, in general obesity will occur when more calories are consumed (and digested) than are expended in exercise of one kind or another.
-Not eating the right food.
-You’re 24. That’s when you gain weight then stop.
-Not exercising.
-New York=food heaven
@livelaughlove21 You are completely wrong and just regurgitating a huge misconception. You have to get below 5% body fat before your body goes into “fat saving mode” as you call it. Others call it starvation mode.
I lost 50 pounds by cutting calories and didn’t exercise aside from a weekly 2 mile walk on the walking trail near my apartment.
I ate a 1500 calorie diet and cut all soda, white sugar, candy, pastries and other junk. I weighed out portions and figured out all the calories in everything I ate. I noticed when I did this, I gravitated to healthier foods because they had less calories and I could eat more of them.
Eat less animal protein and fat in general. In NYC it is actually easier than most cities to eat healthy food, but I am assuming you don’t live in the city, but rather NYS. Go 90% animal free, mostly veggies and fruits, especially eliminate cheese, and watch the pounds come off. I do believe in a 10% cheat. I am careful at home, and cheat at restaurant and on vacation. I only eat out about 1–2 times a week though.
Also, next time at the doctor have them check:
TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
Vitamin B12
Vitamin D
CBC
CMP
If you are low in D or if your thyroid is low it will make you feel more lethargic, and correcting those will give you more energy to not only exercise, but just to want to get out and do things in general. Very few people in NY are likely getting enough vitamin D, unless you are out in the sun every day in the summer getting tan. No tan probably low D. I am not saying go get a tan.
@flip86 So metabolism does not slow down when calories are drastically cut? The body doesn’t go into shock when you stop feeding it a sufficient number of calories? If my body needs 2500 calories to maintain my weight and I only eat 1000, that is less than half of my caloric needs. Research states that, when you consume less than 50% of what your body requires, your metabolism will drop. You might still lose weight, obviously, but that does not mean you’re treating your body well and, chances are, that weight will come back with a vengeance once you stop denying your body the fuel it needs.
Until recently, my go-to diet was 1200 calories or less per day and a mile a day walking on the treadmill (I had no energy for much else). I always lost weight, and I always gained it back. This most recent time, I tried the same tactic. The scale simply would not budge. I even gained a pound or two during this time. So, I did my research. I took my TDEE-20% and discovered I should be eating no less than 1500 net calories a day to lose weight. Once I tried this, the weight melted off. I’m now losing 0.5–2 lbs per week. I’m not special – many many people have experienced the same problem. Perhaps my explanation isn’t entirely supported by your research, but the fact of the matter is that reducing your calories drastically is setting yourself up for failure. Weight gain during a restrictive diet is a very common problem.
“When we eat too little, our body thinks it’s starving. Our metabolism slows and our body kicks into fat-saving mode. When we eat, our bodies grab onto those calories for dear life, because who knows when it’ll get food again? Our bodies need food for energy. Eating 5–6 small meals a day (about 400 calories each) will keep you satisfied and your metabolism up throughout the day. It’s not about eating less, it’s about eating better. Also, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water.”
@livelaughlove21 You’re spot on. This is exactly what my doctor told me back when I quit eating because I wanted to lose weight.
@livelaughlove21 Yes, your metabolism does slow down and starving yourself does have negative consequences but what you claimed above is that your body will work harder to store fat if you eat too little. That isn’t true. That is why I called it a misconception. There are many variations of this misconception. Some claim eating one large meal a day which is what I did will cause this so called “starvation mode” and cause you to gain weight. They couldn’t be further from the truth.
On the other hand, a 1500 calorie diet is not considered a starvation diet. It has been about 8 months since I lost the weight and I have kept it off. I zig zag my calories. Some days I’ll eat a lot, other days I’ll eat light and others I’ll eat a happy medium of the 2.
People who have weight loss surgery and who do the Biggest Loser type shows cut their calories way way down. Easily < 1600 calories. I personally don’t believe in extreme diets, 1600 would probably be the minimum I would advise for the average woman, 1800 the average man.
@JLeslie I disagree with your recommendation. It is possible to lose weight in a healthy manner by eating healthy fats, such as avocado and nuts, and occasional olive oil in dressings an dfor cooking.
And a bit of animal protein is healthy too.
The best way is to not eat any processed foods, and to only eat carbs that do not easily convert to sugar. If you are 110 Kg, and only 5 foot 7, you are approaching a pre-diabetic state. Best to get control over sugar intake.
@zenvelo natural fats like Avocados and nuts are fine with me, just not to excess. Olive oil I am ok with in small amounts too. I said some animal protein is ok, I said it doesn’t have to be done to the extreme, but studies show a correlation between animal protein and health issues. For me personally I have cholesterol issues in addition, so low animal intake has an extra benefit for me, but not everyone has that problem.
There are also studies that are showing it isn’t the olive oil in the medeterranean diet that was really the great health saver, but that the diet is mostly vegetables and some fish. A lot of American switched from corn oil to olive oil, but kept the rest of their diet the same, and the health benefits they hoped for are not panning out.
You can’t tell by someone’s weight of they are pre-diabetic. I agree weight is a risk factor for diabetes, but only blood tests can tell you if your blood glucose levels are high.
I also agree whole foods are the way to go, fewer packaged foods. Eating more vegetables and fruits I think helps the body get the nutrients and protein it needs and hunger levels balance out. Eating lots of greens will result in a lower intake of calories in almost every case.
@flip86 I never said 1500 calories was a starvation diet.
And if your body is but holding onto your fat because it isn’t getting enough from your food, then why do so many if us gain weight when our calorie intake is low and start losing when we increase that number?
Like I said, the cause I gave may not be entirely supported, but the effects certainly are.
I think the #1 problem is our diet. We have HUGE portions…compared to other countries. I’ve been to Thailand and Philippines and I’m not even used to their portion size and feel its a bit small, lol. Not to mention I think our food is full of chemicals and hormones….
@livelaughlove21 A lot of people are not as meticulous as they need to be when it comes to their diet. They’ll drink a big glass of juice thinking it is healthy when in reality they are consuming two or three servings of juice at 150 calories per serving. The same goes for your morning coffee with milk or creamer. You need to count calories in everything you put into your body for a low calorie diet to work effectively.
Also, people who are simply starving themselves may not be consistent with it. They may fast or eat very little for a few days and then overeat for a week and repeat that process. Of course they won’t lose weight. Most likely they are maintaining their weight.
Starving yourself does not cause weight gain. Just look at the starving children overseas. They look like walking skeletons.
I’m not trying to condone starving yourself. I’m simply trying to dispel the ridiculous misconception that eating too little causes weight gain.
@flip86 I still disagree. I might as well be a professional calorie-counter. I measure all of my food and count every single calorie down to the olive oil I put in the bottom of the pan to cook chicken on the stove. And yet, even after nearly a month of never going over 1200 calories per day of good, healthy foods, I had gained 2 lbs. I’m not saying this is true for everyone, but I’m far from the only person that has experienced this.
Now, I would have lost weight if I stuck to it. That’s a given. Anorexic people are thin for a reason. However, an upward fluctuation in weight when running on a high calorie deficit does happen. That’s all I’m saying.
See a Doctor and Nutritionist. Your calories per day for a month and no weight loss is troublesome, tests may be required.
Calories in > Calories out
1) Speed of eating
2) Percentage of the volume of fiber in a full stomach
3) Muscle mass
4) Availability of sidewalks in your city or town
5) Number of steps taken each day (about 10000 per day is optimal)
The presence of sidewalks is a pretty good predictor of the extent of obesity.
This is a story I just heard about, suggesting that obesity is due to alien possession or, more accurately, lack of alien possession, where the aliens in question are microbes living in the body.
Nature article
NPR story
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