If you're gaining weight it must have something to do with your energy intake or energy expenditure, or it could be influenced by other important factors. In this last part of our three-part series on weight gain, we look at these important, yet mysterious other possible causes of weight gain.
OTHER POSSIBLE CAUSES
1. Thyroid problems
This is highly over-rated and occurs only in a minority of those people with a weight problem.
2. A slow metabolism
Again an over-rated excuse. However, metabolic rate may be negatively affected early in life by dieting and inactivity and this can lead to later problems. Some families also have low metabolic rates and this can only be confirmed by laboratory tests.
3. `Yo-Yo' dieting
Binging and fasting through life (particularly early adolescence) can cause long term changes in fat cells and metabolism, which make lifetime, weight loss a problem. Better to stop it in children and adolescents before it happens.
4. Genetic problems
Genes are important, and weight problems do run in families. But if the family dog is also fat, this suggests the other side of a gene-environment interaction.
5. Early experience
In women in particular, early experiences in life such as physical or sexual abuse can be linked to later weight problems. This requires delicate psychological or emotional treatment.
6. Age and sex
Body fat is higher in women than men and increases gradually with age (although this is not inevitable).
7. Lifestyle changes after pregnancy and menopause
Although it's commonly thought that physiological changes occur at these stages leading to weight gain, a number of studies have now shown that it is lifestyle change that is the culprit, not some strange unknown factor. Lifestyle change at these times is inevitable, but often not realised.
8. Fear of failure
Fear of failure can drive some people to become overly conscious of weight gain and sub-consciously react by eating more.
9. Fear of success
As with failure, success for some people can be a problem with previous failures being the burden they have to carry, but which convince them they could never, truly be successful. Who needs enemies when you've got yourself?
If you think any of these situations apply to you, think about how to change your attitude, your environment or the degree of support you get from others around you.
This ends our 3-part series looking at the causes of weight gain.
This Q&A modified from the Waist Watch newsletter.
