Obesity - Overeating

Obesity

Why do some people gain weight more easily than others

Here are some of the theories why some people eat more calories than their body uses up.

It's pretty easy for us to overeat if we don't get strong messages to stop eating. People who are obese might not have the right balance of chemicals in parts of their brain. So their brain can't pass on the right messages about how hungry or full they feel.
People who are overweight might be eating even when they don't feel hungry. For example, they might eat to comfort themselves when they're sad. It's also easy to eat when we're not hungry because we associate a situation with eating. For example, when we visit family or friends, or go to see a movie.
A very small number of people who are obese don't produce enough of a chemical called leptin. Leptin is made by the cells in your body that store fat. It tells your brain how much fat you have stored.

Source:
Flier JS.
Obesity.
In: Braunwald E, Hauser SL, Fauci AS, et al (editors). Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 15th edition. McGraw Hill, New York, U.S.A.; 2001.

¹

Source:
Schwartz MW, Woods SC, Porte D, et al.
Central nervous system control of food intake.
Nature. 2000; 404: 661-671.

² If you aren't making enough leptin, you might still feel hungry, even though you're putting on weight.
Some medical conditions and medications can increase your appetite and your weight. This can make it hard to keep your weight down. It's important to get medical help.
People use calories at different rates. Some people find it easier to gain weight and lose weight than others. This might be due to differences in our genetic and chemical make-up, which we can't yet explain.

Sources for the information on this page:

Flier JS.Obesity.In: Braunwald E, Hauser SL, Fauci AS, et al (editors). Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 15th edition. McGraw Hill, New York, U.S.A.; 2001.

Schwartz MW, Woods SC, Porte D, et al.Central nervous system control of food intake.Nature. 2000; 404: 661-671.

This information was last updated on May 01, 2009

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