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Why it may not be your fault if you’re fat
22:01pm 16th July 2006
Eat less and exercise more - it has long been the mantra for shedding those extra pounds. But now it seems that all the hard work may have been in vain.
Scientists say there are 10 other reasons why Britons just keep getting bigger. They claim that sleeping habits, central heating, medicines and even some pollutants can play a role in weight gain.
The latest figures show almost a quarter of adults are obese and 28 per cent of under-10s are either overweight or obese.
Traditionally, health practitioners have focused on diet and exercise - and a large dose of willpower - to treat the problem.
However the scientists from top U.S. and Canadian universities say that these other factors must be considered.
Lack of sleep could be partly to blame, they say in the International Journal of Obesity. In recent years, the average night’s sleep has dropped from nine hours to just seven.
Sleep deprivation alters levels of the hormones that regulate food intake and body fat and increase hunger and appetite.
Our reliance on central heating and air conditioning is also a factor. British homes are getting warmer, with average temperatures increasing from 13C to 18C since 1970.
If it is too hot or too cold, we burn calories to cool down or heat up. But if the temperature is just right, the calories may be turned into body fat instead.
Those who take beta-blockers to control their blood pressure can often put on 3lb. Similarly, studies have shown that going on the Pill can add 11lb to a woman’s weight.
Mother Nature may also be to blame, with our body shape being partly inherited. The overweight are also more likely to settle with partners of a similar size, and their children are more likely to be obese.
And the use of pollutants is on the rise, say the researchers. The manmade chemicals in pesticides and plastics can interfere with our hormones and lead to weight gain.
Your mother’s age and your weight at birth are also important, with older women more likely to have obese children and underweight babies having a bigger chance of being obese in later life.
We are also living longer and tend to put on weight as we get older. Finally, giving up smoking can also help pile on the pounds.
The scientists from Yale, Cornell and Johns Hopkins said there was only ‘circumstantial’ evidence supporting poor diet and lack of exercise as the main causes of obesity.
Eating trends in Britain would change dramatically if everyone followed official dietary advice, research shows.
Consumption of fresh vegetables would have to rise by 50 per cent to hit recommended targets.
The amount of bread and fish eaten would increase by 45 per cent and 42 per cent respectively.
Butter would cut out entirely and cheese consumption would go down by 75 per cent, the University of Reading researchers found.
OTHER FACTORS BEHIND THE FLAB
- Sleep - Too little increases appetite
- Medicine - Many modern medicines lead to us putting on weight
- Mother’s age - Older women are more likely to have obese children
- Choice of partner - Overweight people tend to pair with each other - and have overweight children
- Heating and air conditioning - ‘Comfortable’ temperatures stop us from burning off fat
- Genes - Body shape may be partly inherited
- Giving up smoking - Nicotine suppresses the appetite
- Manmade chemicals - Some chemicals interfere with hormones that keep fat levels low
- Weight at birth - Underweight babies have a bigger risk of obesity
- Getting older - Weight tends to increase with age
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