The causes of weight gain are not only triggered by diet; they can also be due to lifestyle or certain health disorders. As a precaution, it is good to know the causes of weight gain.
To prevent drastic weight gain, one of the steps that can be taken is to avoid types of food that increase weight.
In addition, for those of you who want to lose weight, as one of the efforts, let's look at the habits that cause weight gain.
Causes of Weight Gain
You might be wondering why your weight increases quickly even though you eat only a small portion.
This can happen because the causes of rapid weight gain come from several habitual factors, such as stress, irregular sleep patterns, sugar consumption, and sitting all day. Let's take a look at the explanation here.
1. Aging
The first cause of weight gain is aging. Do you know why you gain weight even when you eat little? One reason is aging.
Why is that? The main reason is that calorie burning mostly occurs in muscle, and as we age, muscle mass tends to decrease.
Indirectly, aging can cause weight gain because a decrease in muscle mass can reduce the number of calories the body burns.
This causes many calories to remain and eventually turn into fat tissue, leading to rapid weight gain.
2. Stress Factor
Why can stress cause weight gain? This depends on how each person responds when they face stress.
Well, when stressed, some people turn to food to distract themselves from uncomfortable feelings, a phenomenon commonly referred to as emotional eating.
The problem is, sometimes a person who copes with stress by eating does not realize how many calories they are consuming, leading to weight gain.
3. Irregular Sleep Patterns
Next, one of the habits that can lead to weight gain is an irregular sleep pattern.
Poor sleep quality, combined with fatigue, can cause someone to gain weight.
This is triggered by an increase in the hormone leptin in the body, which functions to generate feelings of fullness and control appetite.
However, if its levels are too high, the body may have difficulty interpreting feelings of fullness, causing you to feel hungry continuously.
In addition, sleeping too much can also be a habit that contributes to weight gain. According to research, people who sleep more than 9 hours a day tend to have a 21% higher risk of obesity.
Therefore, to maintain an ideal body weight, try to have a quality sleep pattern, which is 6–8 hours per day, neither too little nor too much.
4. Fluid Retention
In addition to being caused by fat accumulation, drastic weight gain can also be triggered by fluid retention, or edema.
Some people with heart, kidney, or liver problems sometimes experience weight gain for this reason.
Weight gain due to fluid retention is usually accompanied by swelling in the abdomen, hands, and feet.
5. Taking Medications
Taking medications is also one of the causes of drastic weight gain. Some medications do have side effects that include significant weight gain.
Therefore, it is advisable to consult with a nutritionist before taking certain medications to minimize their side effects.
6. Hormonal Changes
In this case, the hormone in question is estrogen, which decreases during menopause.
This condition can be a cause of weight gain, and usually, the most noticeable areas are the abdomen and hips, which become larger.
These hormonal changes also cause the body's metabolism to slow down, triggering weight gain.
7. Eating Too Quickly
If you often eat in a hurry, it’s a good idea to start changing that habit from now on.
Eating too quickly is one of the habits that can lead to weight gain because it often makes you overeat.
As a result, the excess nutrients from the food will be stored as fat and increase your weight.
8. Consuming Sugar
If you enjoy eating snacks, you should start paying attention to how much sugar they contain.
Sugar content is one of the dietary factors that can cause weight gain, so it’s better to reduce its intake.
9. Certain Health Conditions
The cause of weight gain, even when eating little, could be triggered by certain health conditions, one of which is hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism causes the body's metabolism to slow down, making it easier to gain weight.
10. Sitting All Day
If your job requires you to sit all day, it is advisable to make time for exercise, at least 30 minutes a day.
Why? Because the habit of sitting in the same position all day has the potential to cause weight gain if not accompanied by exercise.
Moreover, if you snack while sitting and working all day to stay focused, your calorie intake unconsciously increases.
That’s all the explanations on why weight can increase quickly. It is important to limit sugar, get enough sleep, and engage in activities other than sitting all day.
Previously, you might have been confused about why your weight was going up even though you were eating little. Well, now you are starting to understand, right?
And equally important to understand, besides the reasons mentioned above, it turns out that weight gain can also be caused by not drinking enough water.
This is because the body often mistakes thirst for hunger, making you want to eat more. Therefore, make sure to regularly drink water.
Speaking of drinking water, AQUA is one of the mineral waters you can choose to meet your daily hydration needs.
AQUA comes from a natural water source that produces drinking water whose quality and purity are maintained until it reaches your hands.
So, whatever your activity, don’t forget to always keep #AQUADULU handy!
Read also: 8 Causes of Difficulty Losing Weight Despite Dieting
