An estimated 119 million American adults are overweight or obese (more than 20 pounds over ideal body weight).
There are a variety of factors that can cause some people to gain weight and have a hard time losing it. Here are some reasons why some people may overeat and why some people burn calories more slowly than others.
Food Allergies:
Weight gain may be due to allergies to food or food intolerances. About 60 % of the U.S. population suffers from undetected food allergies which can affect the brain and the hunger response. This in turn can affect some people’s ability to lose weight.
Stress Hormones:
Many people eat more food than they need when stressed. The two hormones governing stress are DHEA and cortisol. When these two hormones are out of balance, long-term consequences related to weight can occur. These consequences can include weight gain, binge eating, and sugar cravings.
Female Hormones:
The average weight gain at peri-menopause and menopause is 20 pounds. As women enter peri-menopause and menopause many of them gain extra pounds. In order to lose weight and keep it off a woman’s sex hormones should be balanced and replaced as their levels drop with age.
Male Hormones:
Men can also have declining hormones as they age. This is called andropause. For men, weight and a difficulty in losing weight may be related to decreases in their hormones, particularly testosterone.
Insulin:
Insulin helps the body to regulate its blood sugar. When elevated, there is a common link to obesity and the ratio of fat to muscle increases. Chronic exposure to refined carbohydrates and simple sugars can cause insulin elevation. Unfortunately, many people have trouble avoiding these substances due to the daily struggle of balancing work and family.
Thyroid:
Hypothyroidism is commonly misdiagnosed. In fact, 40% of the population in the United States experiences undiagnosed hypothyroidism. If your level of this important hormone is too low, the result is weight gain.
Detoxification:
A total of four organs serve to detoxify the body: the skin, kidney, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. It is important all four remain healthy for optimal fat burning. If any of these organs are out of balance or in less than optimal health, this can affect your ability to lose weight.
Inflammation:
Being overweight can cause inflammation in the body and increase chemicals in your system that can in turn, cause you to increase your food intake. These same chemicals can decrease your body’s ability to burn fat efficiently. In addition to weight gain and obesity, inflammation is a symptom of almost every chronic disease process.
Sleep:
Adequate sleep is important to promote weight loss and maintain proper levels of chemicals and hormones involved with weight control. Disturbed or inadequate sleep can result in weight gain.
Exercise:
Exercise is very important to lose weight and keep it off. Exercise aids in increasing metabolic rate and maintains lean muscle mass. Again, many people have trouble fitting exercise into their hectic lifestyles.
Water:
Drinking enough water allows the body to feel full and helps to decrease the intake of too many calories. Ideally, the amount of water you drink each day in ounces should be half your body weight. For example, an individual weighing 180 pounds should drink 90 ounces.
Neurotransmitters:
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers relaying signals between nerves cells. Weight gain and obesity, for some people, can be related to improper levels of these chemicals. When neurotransmitters are not working properly, people may have trouble feeling full after a meal or may mistake stress or fatigue for hunger.
In The End
DreamBody Medical Centers offers individualized, medically supervised weight loss programs that fully factor in above 12 possible causes of weight gain. We specialize in the highly effective HCG metabolic weight loss program which is based on the protocol from Dr. A.T.W. Simeon. Dr. Simeon developed this program in Europe and achieved great success for more than 20 years with helping patients lose and maintain weight.
The DreamBody comprehensive program includes a detailed history, examination, EKG, instruction manual, weekly diet and lifestyle coaching, weekly B12 shots, credit voucher toward supplements, injected supplies, and a discount toward our Hormone/Age Management Program. To help you maintain a healthy weight long term, we may also recommend food allergy testing, and/or evaluation of your neurotransmitters, cortisol levels, and hormone levels.
DreamBody Medical Centers can help you identify which specific factors are affecting your weight and then help you overcome those factors!
