10. Skipping or missing mealsYes! It might sound weird to a regular person, but skipping important meals can actually get you fat. People who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight, and that morning meals seem to help those who’ve lost weight keep it off. Obesity specialists say that skipping meals of any kind results in a shifts or sessions of compensatory hunger. This may cause you to actually eat more in a single meal, instead of regularly eating less, which is a well known cause to gaining extra weight.
9. Lack of sleepSleep deprivation can increase your risk of obesity by boosting ghrelin (an appetite stimulating hormone) and lowering leptin(an appetite suppressor). The association between sleep deprivation and obesity appears to be strongest in young and middle-age adults. Sleep loss is currently thought to disturb endocrine regulation of energy homeostasis leading to weight gain and obesity. A reduction of sleep duration to 4 h for two consecutive nights has recently been shown to decrease circulating leptin levels and to increase ghrelin levels, as well as self-reported hunger. Similar endocrine alterations have been shown to occur even after a single night of sleep restriction.
8. Credit CardsThis one might sound ridiculous, though it not. Your plastic rectangle may be affecting more than just your credit score. Visa and Mastercard conducted a study of 100.000 fast-food restaurant transactions and found that people who pay for their food with a credit card spend 30% more than those who pay with cash. This is because buyers don’t have the direct feel of money amount they spend, especially when they have eyes bigger than their stomach. For the average person who visits a fast-food restaurant once a week, that adds an extra 3 kg per year.
7. Neglecting ScalesRecent study from the University of Minnesota found that people who weighed themselves daily lost about 7 kg over two years, while those who never did shed only 2 kg. Other research, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, concluded that those who have daily weigh-ins (along with face-to-face support) are 82% less likely to regain 3 kg than a control group without weigh-ins or support. So start weighting yourself regularly in order to be aware of the changes.
6. TV Watching and Computer UsageExcessive TV watching and computer usage is a powerful predictor for obesity. Recent researches proved that persons who watch around 4 hours of TV per day are much more likely to be fat than those who watched only an hour per day. When you watch TV you are virtually motionless. Your heart rate, blood pressure and metabolic rate decline, resulting in burning only 15 to 25 calories less per hour. This inactivity can also be addictive especially in children and teenagers. The same thing happens when using a computer.
5. Eating Too FastIt is a habit of most people living in a fast paced society. Fast eaters apparently consume more calories. Eating fast lets you eat too much before you are fully aware of it. The mechanism is that fast eaters are ”ahead” of the signals the stomach sends to the brain to indicate fullness. It takes the brain about 15-20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness.
4. Unawareness of Calories in FoodMany people eat with no idea of the calorie or fat value. This leads to weight gain because you can easily consume twice the normal amount required to maintain your weight, if you don’t know how many calories you are consuming. You might think that not having a full-stomach sensation is enough to prevent weight gain, but the truth is that the calorie value of what you eat is more important. A person can feel full by eating integral/whole cereals, or by eating burgers.
3. Eating to Manage Moods and FeelingsEmotional eating is the practice of consuming large quantities of food in response to feelings and moods (such as boredom, anxiety, depression or loneliness), instead of hunger. It is estimated that around 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. How many times have you found yourself scouring the kitchen for a snack, or absently munching junk food when you’re bored or stressed, but not really hungry? This usually happens in winter season.
2. Lack of ExerciseWith all the demands on your schedule, exercise may be one of the last things on your to-do list. If so, you’re not alone. People live a more sedentary lifestyle than we have in past generations, yet our minds seem to be racing from everything we have to do. Unfortunately, from sitting in traffic, clocking hours at our desks, and plopping in front of the TV in exhaustion at the end of the day, exercise is often neglected or completely omitted. Physical exercise is important for maintaining physical fitness and can contribute positively to maintaining a healthy weight, building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility, promoting physiological well-being, reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system.
1. Passion for Fast FoodsOne of the big reasons we’re seeing more obesity in our society these days is that we are too stressed and busy to make healthy dinners at home, often opting to get fast food at the nearest drive-thru instead. Fast foods compromise the quality of the meal by replacing more healthy choices. They are known for having a high content of saturated and trans-fat, lack of fiber, and massive portion sizes, which leads to obesity.
9. Lack of sleepSleep deprivation can increase your risk of obesity by boosting ghrelin (an appetite stimulating hormone) and lowering leptin(an appetite suppressor). The association between sleep deprivation and obesity appears to be strongest in young and middle-age adults. Sleep loss is currently thought to disturb endocrine regulation of energy homeostasis leading to weight gain and obesity. A reduction of sleep duration to 4 h for two consecutive nights has recently been shown to decrease circulating leptin levels and to increase ghrelin levels, as well as self-reported hunger. Similar endocrine alterations have been shown to occur even after a single night of sleep restriction.
8. Credit CardsThis one might sound ridiculous, though it not. Your plastic rectangle may be affecting more than just your credit score. Visa and Mastercard conducted a study of 100.000 fast-food restaurant transactions and found that people who pay for their food with a credit card spend 30% more than those who pay with cash. This is because buyers don’t have the direct feel of money amount they spend, especially when they have eyes bigger than their stomach. For the average person who visits a fast-food restaurant once a week, that adds an extra 3 kg per year.
7. Neglecting ScalesRecent study from the University of Minnesota found that people who weighed themselves daily lost about 7 kg over two years, while those who never did shed only 2 kg. Other research, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, concluded that those who have daily weigh-ins (along with face-to-face support) are 82% less likely to regain 3 kg than a control group without weigh-ins or support. So start weighting yourself regularly in order to be aware of the changes.
6. TV Watching and Computer UsageExcessive TV watching and computer usage is a powerful predictor for obesity. Recent researches proved that persons who watch around 4 hours of TV per day are much more likely to be fat than those who watched only an hour per day. When you watch TV you are virtually motionless. Your heart rate, blood pressure and metabolic rate decline, resulting in burning only 15 to 25 calories less per hour. This inactivity can also be addictive especially in children and teenagers. The same thing happens when using a computer.
5. Eating Too FastIt is a habit of most people living in a fast paced society. Fast eaters apparently consume more calories. Eating fast lets you eat too much before you are fully aware of it. The mechanism is that fast eaters are ”ahead” of the signals the stomach sends to the brain to indicate fullness. It takes the brain about 15-20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness.
4. Unawareness of Calories in FoodMany people eat with no idea of the calorie or fat value. This leads to weight gain because you can easily consume twice the normal amount required to maintain your weight, if you don’t know how many calories you are consuming. You might think that not having a full-stomach sensation is enough to prevent weight gain, but the truth is that the calorie value of what you eat is more important. A person can feel full by eating integral/whole cereals, or by eating burgers.
3. Eating to Manage Moods and FeelingsEmotional eating is the practice of consuming large quantities of food in response to feelings and moods (such as boredom, anxiety, depression or loneliness), instead of hunger. It is estimated that around 75% of overeating is caused by emotions. How many times have you found yourself scouring the kitchen for a snack, or absently munching junk food when you’re bored or stressed, but not really hungry? This usually happens in winter season.
2. Lack of ExerciseWith all the demands on your schedule, exercise may be one of the last things on your to-do list. If so, you’re not alone. People live a more sedentary lifestyle than we have in past generations, yet our minds seem to be racing from everything we have to do. Unfortunately, from sitting in traffic, clocking hours at our desks, and plopping in front of the TV in exhaustion at the end of the day, exercise is often neglected or completely omitted. Physical exercise is important for maintaining physical fitness and can contribute positively to maintaining a healthy weight, building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility, promoting physiological well-being, reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system.
1. Passion for Fast FoodsOne of the big reasons we’re seeing more obesity in our society these days is that we are too stressed and busy to make healthy dinners at home, often opting to get fast food at the nearest drive-thru instead. Fast foods compromise the quality of the meal by replacing more healthy choices. They are known for having a high content of saturated and trans-fat, lack of fiber, and massive portion sizes, which leads to obesity.
