What Causes Gradual Weight Gain?
You may be experiencing it now. Your clothes are getting tighter. The number on the scale keeps creeping upward. Your reflection in a full-length mirror is bearing less resemblance to the “you” in photographs from just a few years ago. Gradual weight gain is an insidious foe that takes over your body while you’re busy with the many demands of daily life. But what causes it, and can it be reversed?
First, we at Solutions Weight Loss assume you’ve been battling those extra pounds, but without long-term success – which, of course, leads to even greater levels of frustration! Learning about the causes behind gradual weight gain can give you valuable insight that will allow you to take the steps to regaining control!
Age-Related Weight Gain
The popular adage, “age is just a number,” doesn’t hold up to reality. Getting older brings physiological changes that can affect weight, including the following:
- Your metabolism slows down
- Your body composition shifts
- Your hormone levels change
According to health writer Stephanie Thurrott in her article for Banner Health, “When your metabolism slows, you don’t need as many calories to keep your body humming along. That means your older self can eat the same diet and get the same amount of exercise as your younger self. But where your younger self could maintain a healthy weight, your older self finds that pounds are piling on. If you’ve cut back on your workouts, you’re tipping the scales even further.
”Adding to the metabolic slowdown is a shift in your body composition. As you age, your muscle mass decreases and your fat mass increases. Fat is less metabolically active than muscle – you don’t need as many calories to maintain fat as you do to maintain muscle.
“Hormonal changes can also lead to weight gain. Women tend to see hormone levels change quickly during menopause, while men see more gradual decreases in their testosterone levels over time.”
Moreover, as Rebecca Moran, MD – a family medicine physician at Banner Health Clinic in Phoenix, AZ – points out, most people exercise less frequently and with less intensity as they age, setting themselves up even more for gradual weight gain.
Eating a Diet Heavy in Highly Processed Foods/Fast Foods
Even if you haven’t yet reached your 50th birthday, eating like you did as a teenager can cause the pounds to add on. Making burgers, fries, fried foods, pizza, etc., the mainstay of your diet was bad enough then, but continuing to do so in adulthood is a guaranteed way to gain weight – as well as set up the conditions that lead to type 2 diabetes and other serious health issues.
We’re not being judgy here. Life is hectic, and it can be easier to grab lunch or dinner at the drive-thru of your favorite fast food eatery instead of cooking at home. But making it routine instead of once-in-a-while will eventually take a toll.
As WebMD bluntly states it, “Fast food is convenient and cheap, but you pay a bigger price in the long run. Those burgers, fries, and shakes usually have more fat, calories, and highly processed carbs than your body needs in one meal. This can quickly lead to weight gain and obesity if you eat it often.”
Eating Too Much Sugar
If we’ve just described your diet in the above paragraphs, you’re most likely also taking in too much refined sugar – which is often “hidden” in highly processed foods. Regularly consuming sugary foods and beverages may lead to weight gain and increase your risk of diabetes.
Some foods high in added sugars include:
- candy
- cakes
- soda
- sports drinks
- ice cream
- iced tea
- sweetened coffee drinks
In particular, Healthline points out that sugary beverages are the largest source of added sugar in the United States and are strongly associated with weight gain.
Having a Sedentary Lifestyle
Inactivity is a common contributor to gradual weight gain, as well as chronic diseases. Working a desk job, watching TV, driving, and using a computer or phone are all sedentary activities.
As reported by Healthline, a 2018 study in 464 people with obesity and excess weight found their average daily sitting time was 6.2 hours on working days and 6 hours on non-working days. Work-related tasks were the largest contributor, followed by watching TV. Research has also shown that engaging in excessive screen time contributes significantly to unintentional weight gain.
Making a few lifestyle changes, such as exercising and sitting less, can make a big difference. For example, a 3-month study in 317 workers found that replacing just 1 hour of sitting with 1 hour of standing during the workday reduced total fat mass and waist circumference while increasing lean muscle mass.
What to Do if You’ve Tried to Lose Weight on Your Own
Regardless of your age, making healthy changes in your lifestyle will help improve your overall health and well-being. But as you perhaps already know from experience, a significant weight loss may not necessarily follow. Don’t blame yourself, and don’t give up! A real solution is just a phone call or click away!
Solutions Weight Loss provides today’s most advanced weight loss medications under the guidance of William E. Newsome, M.D., Medical Director and co-owner of Solutions Weight Loss. From the very start of your medical weight loss journey with us, Dr. Newsome conducts your in-depth initial consultation, and will evaluate and prescribe for you the best treatment to achieve your goals. He brings his own personal weight loss experiences, and a lifelong dedication to health and fitness.
Solutions Weight Loss internal results prove our program is effective at driving long-term improvements to metabolic health and weight loss, with an average of 21% weight loss at 12 months; 19.1% at 18 months, and 18.9% at 24 months. Our members have also decreased their waist circumference by 7 inches, on average. These results are superior to the weight loss seen in clinical trials for GLP-1 medications. Regardless of which medication they take, our members have demonstrated significant and sustained results!
You may have heard about shortages of brand-name weight loss medications. Due to high demand, pharmaceutical companies sometimes are unable to provide the supply needed. This situation will never be a concern when you choose Solutions Weight Loss! Moreover, the brand-name medication is very expensive. However, semaglutide and tirzepatide are generic ingredients. We prescribe and dispense both, offering high-quality compounded GLP-1 medications at an affordable price.
See what makes Solutions Weight Loss the #1 weight loss clinic in Florida! Schedule your consultation with Dr. Newsome here, or call 407-413-5503, and experience the benefits of today’s metabolic approach to sustainable weight loss! Don’t wait another day to start living your best life!
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