The Cause of Weight Gain

The Simple Answer to the Cause of Weight Gain

What causes excess body fat? Too many carbs? Stress, which in turn creates body fat? Not enough exercise? Imbalances within the body? The answer is very simple.

The Cause of Weight Gain & Excess Body Fat

Simply put, excess body fat is generally the result of consuming more energy (calories) than our body uses.

Think about fueling your car. What happens when you put in too much gas? It overflows and runs onto the ground. Because energy is so precious to the body, it contains tiny storage tanks called fat cells. Whenever we eat or drink more energy than our body needs, the excess energy is stored within our fat cells.

Fat cells also have the ability to multiply, and once they are formed, they can be shrunk but they never go away. This fact makes weight maintenance extra difficult for individuals who lose weight.

How to Prevent Weight Gain

To prevent weight gain, one might think that if an individual eats until their tummy feels full, they shouldn't gain weight. Unfortunately, because different foods contain different amounts of calories (energy), this method isn't feasible. In addition, it takes several minutes for the tummy to let the brain know that it's full.

Will eating the recommended servings from the official food pyramid prevent weight gain? Unfortunately, no. This is one of the biggest flaws with the food pyramid concept due to the varying energy levels contained in foods.

One of the proven methods for halting weight gain in its tracks - as well as for dropping excess weight includes the following:

The individuals determines recommended weight;

Next, energy needs necessary to reach the recommended weight must be determined;

The individual's daily diet is then based on the determined energy (calorie) needs;

Energy needs in the daily diet should be centered around the official food pyramid daily food group recommendations;

Daily diet should be supported with moderate activity/exercise.

Return to Article Index Within This Section

Return to Diet Bites | Site Disclaimer & Copyright | Site Map