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Is that why other people can lose weight and I can't?

Homepage Articles Is that why other people can lose weight and I can't?

Is that why other people can lose weight and I can't?

According to the National Health Fund, 60% of Poles are overweight and up to 25% are obese. Unfortunately, a BMI above 25 kg/m2 is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, lipid disorders and many other diseases.

Table of Contents

1. It all starts in your mother's womb

In human development, there are so-called critical periods in which the body is programmed, which can affect later health. This process starts in the mother's womb, so it's not insignificant how she feeds. In epidemiological studies, it has been observed that excess body weight predisposes the newborn to greater birth weight, which in turn is a factor that increases the risk of obesity. Interestingly, a parent's weightlessness can have the same effect. This is explained by the fact that the baby's body is accustomed to nutritional deficiencies.

2. The effect of genetics on body weight

Although environmental and individual factors are most important for the development of excess body weight, it turns out that genes also have a big influence on it. Research indicates that there are over 300 different genes and gene markers that are associated with obesity and that, when activated by the environment, can cause weight gain.

3. Diseases and medicines for weight gain

Obesity is a rare type of obesity. It is caused by damage (e.g. as a result of cancer, surgery, or injury) to the subcutaneous tissue, which is the part of the brain responsible for regulating physiological processes, including hunger and cravings. It leads to impaired sensation of hunger signals and increased satiety, and consequently to excessive food intake and uncontrolled weight gain. (Ch. L. Roth, 2015). It is also caused by the presence of bacteria that also predispose to the body's weight gain, including Cushing's disease.

4. Environmental factors and excess body weight

Nowadays, access to food is almost unlimited, especially in the developed world. Moreover, there are often more processed and energy-efficient foods on the market, so it's not hard to exceed calorie intake. Salt snacks, fast foods, and sweets are at hand, and reaching for them is obviously easier than preparing a meal made up of these nutrients on your own. Often there are also sweetened foods and juices, which provide high levels of energy. They are not only a lack of food intake by the public, but also the lack of weight gain, weight gain and weight loss in the food industry, which also leads to a decrease in weight gain.

5. Psychological factors also affect body weight

The most common problem that leads to excessive food intake is the inability to manage emotions and reduce stress through eating, which is mostly accompanied by depression but also stressful situations or boredom. Unfortunately, at such times, the most commonly chosen products are sweets and foods that cause pleasant associations (e.g. happy childhood). People with an emotional outlook tend to have trouble sensing the signs of hunger and cravings and, consequently, they also get overwhelmed.

6. Summary

Although the main cause of obesity is too much energy supply in relation to demand, the problem is much more complex than it might seem. Weight gain predispositions are shaped during fetal life and can be modified throughout life by many environmental, psychological, and genetic factors. Therefore, education in proper nutrition appears to be extremely important from an early age.
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