Causes
Being overweight is generally caused by the intake of more calories (by eating) than are expended by the body (by exercise and everyday living). Factors which may contribute to this imbalance include:
- Alcoholism
- Eating disorders (such as binge eating)
- Genetic predisposition
- Hormonal imbalances (e.g. hypothyroidism)
- Insufficient or poor-quality sleep
- Limited physical exercise and sedentary lifestyle
- Poor nutrition
- Metabolic disorders, which could be caused by repeated attempts to lose weight by weight cycling
- Overeating
- Psychotropic medication (e.g. olanzapine)
- Smoking cessation and other stimulant withdrawal
- Stress
People who have insulin dependant diabetes and chronically overdose insulin may gain weight, while people who already are overweight may develop insulin tolerance, and in the long run type II diabetes.
Read more about this topic: Overweight