How to Get Fat (Part 1)

Despite all the hype, it boils down to two things – energy in (food) and/or energy out (activity).
Read the daily presses and you’ll think the world is full of plots to make us fat. But, there are two mechanisms through which increases in body weight occur. These are either an increase in energy intake (EI) or food and/or a decrease in energy expenditure (EE), which is activity level, metabolic rate and heat loss.

Other factors such as drugs, genetics, age, gender, etc., can only have an impact through either or both of these mechanisms. Within each of these influences of course, there is a range of factors which can lead to weight gain (and therefore help influence weight loss).

Today, we will look at Energy Intake and the factors there that can help you get fat/gain weight!

Energy Intake

1. Too much fat (Do you want fries with that??)

2. Too much total energy (Supersize me!)

3. Too high energy density (high calorie foods - need I say more??)

4. Too many high Glycemic Index (GI) foods (high carbohydrate foods with low fibre)

5. Too little variety (the Brown Rice Diet anyone???)

6. Excessive hunger (too long between meals or related to 12)

7. Night eating (Well, I was good all day...)

8. Binge eating (I am sooo depressed...my pants don't fit!)

9. ‘Restrained’ eating (starve in public and pig out at home)

10. Social/holiday eating (It’s Christmas, my Birthday, my dog’s Birthday...)

11. Habitual eating (I always eat when I watch TV...)

12. Irregular eating (starve all day and then eat all night?)

13. Lack of awareness of eating ( one for the pot...one for the cook...)

14. Food intake and alcohol (this one speaks for itself!)

15. The ‘eye-mouth’ gap (I see, therefore I eat)

16. The ‘exception’ rule (Oh...this one doesn’t count...)

Any of or all of these can be reasons you may find you are gaining weight.  Food for thought?

Next time we will look at the role of Energy Expenditure.