What Causes Weight Gain?

In simple terms, we gain weight because our energy input exceeds our energy output – we eat more than we burn and this excess is stored as fatty deposits. But this conventional diet wisdom does not always hold true. Weight gain can also be caused by health conditions such as hypothyroidism, food sensitivity, organ disease, prescription drug use, anxiety, blood sugar imbalance, essential fatty acid deficiency and even a lack of sleep.

Thyroid hormone deficiency can decrease metabolism of food, causing appetite loss and modest weight gain. Weight gain is from fat accumulation and fluid retention caused by protein deposits in the body. Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include fatigue, lethargy, swelling of the face or around the eyes, dry, coarse skin, decreased sweating, poor memory, slow speech and hoarse voice, weakness, intolerance to cold and headache.

Essential fatty acids are good fats that are needed by the body to make hormones and maintain the body’s metabolic rate. A deficiency may cause cravings, particularly for fatty foods. The first signs of deficiency are often dandruff, dry hair and dry, scaly skin. Deficiency is also associated with arthritis, eczema, heart disease, diabetes and premenstrual syndrome.

With food sensitivity, reactions to foods are not always immediate. They can occur many hours later as bloating and swelling in the hands, feet, ankles, abdomen, chin and around the eyes. Much of the weight gained is fluid retention caused by inflammation and the release of certain hormones. In addition, there is fermentation of foods, particularly carbohydrates, in the intestines which can result in a swollen distended belly and gas production.

Symptoms of food sensitivity can include headache, indigestion or heartburn, fatigue, depression, joint pain or arthritis, canker sores, chronic respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, sinus congestion or bronchitis and chronic bowel problems such as diarrhoea or constipation.

Hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives containing estrogens can cause fluid retention and increased appetite. Other drugs that can cause weight gain are steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants and diabetic medications. Disease in the kidney, heart or liver can cause fluid retention, which appears as general puffiness all over the body, especially the eyes and ankles.

If you have concerns over weight gain, the first place to start is to visit your doctor and rule out any medical conditions. The most positive result from that visit is to be told that your weight gain is not illness related, because then you know that the road to weight loss is entirely in your own hands.

How Weight Gain Can Creep Up On Us:

Weight gain is a natural progression of aging. Trees start off life as narrow saplings, not unlike slender young teenagers, then as a tree ages, its girth starts to increase. Humans are no different, but natural healthy weight gain becomes a problem when we gain more than we are comfortable with. When the weight we gain becomes a health issue, rather than the health issue causing the weight gain – that’s when our lifestyle needs to change.

Most peoples lifestyle changes as they pass through the decades. This could be brought about by a combination of many different factors. As a youngster, most people are certainly more active than in later years. As we age, perhaps we exercise less or have no time or inclination to play sport any more. Childbirth and parenthood can affect body shape. A climb up the career ladder means more hours at work, more stress, less time for exercise. Many people respond to stress or depression by eating excessively. Some people may increase their alcohol consumption over a period of years, progressively drinking more volume and more often. Cooking and eating habits may become more relaxed, with processed convenience food becoming a more regular feature of ones diet. Post-menopausal women find a change in body shape and weight gain to be common.

Exercise, or lack of it, is a factor in the equation of energy input and energy output. Small jobs that used to be done manually in our lives and assist in energy output are often automated nowadays. Cars are washed at the carwash rather than the back yard, remotes to change television and radio settings, elevators and lifts rather than walking up stairs, taking the car to the local shop rather than walking, having a contractor mow the lawns rather than doing it oneself.

What We Can Do About It?

Usually, weight gain is more complex that just one cause. All of the factors above, and more, have an impact on our bodies and the simple equation of energy in and energy out. To seriously consider loosing weight in a healthy, managed way, every aspect of how we live our lives needs to be scrutinised and assessed, then changes made that we are comfortable with and can accept long term, because there is no healthy easy, short-term fix to weight management. Lifestyle changes for the better need to be made progressively and permanently, otherwise the weight loss fought so hard for will not stay off.

Weight loss companies make millions of dollars every year selling diets, pills and dreams to people who genuinely wish to loose weight, but who find it difficult, or are unwilling, to make lifestyle changes to facilitate this. Many people have years of yo-yoing weight loss and gains, with all the unhappiness that brings. The only long-term, healthy way to loose weight and keep it off is to make changes to your “energy in; energy out” equation.

Noni & Weight Loss:

We have testimonials from many people who have experienced weight loss from taking Noni regularly. We have also been asked by people to guarantee that taking Noni will result in weight loss, but unfortunately we can not give that guarantee. Imagine taking 30mls of Noni per day and the magic of that potion allowing you to indulge in eating and drinking whatever you want without gaining an ounce! Sadly, that doesn’t happen.

But… taking Noni regularly does help with weight loss on many levels. Firstly, it increases the overall state of health and as a result energy levels increase. If you have more energy, you are more likely to begin, in a small way, to resume some sort of exercise, perhaps starting with a daily morning walk, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Included in almost every feedback we receive from people who take Noni, is that their bowel movements improve. Taking Noni on a regular basis assists in eliminating toxins from the body through the need to excrete more frequently. People who have suffered from constipation for years find relief by regularly taking Noni juice. Excreting toxins from the body has many benefits, and weight loss is just one of them. Noni’s action includes purifying the blood, stimulating the immune system, regulating cell function, and regeneration of damaged cells.

Research has shown an important connection between sleep and weight loss. Without sufficient sleep the bodies metabolism may decrease, making it difficult to loose or maintain weight. The old adage of needing 8 hours sleep per night is now scientifically proven. People who are considering losing weight should think of healthy sleeping habits in the same sentence as healthy eating habits and good exercise habits. Taking Noni juice can improve sleeping habits. This can occur as a result of an improvement in general overall health and through a reduction in stress.

The Key to Long Term Weight Management:

To enjoy the health and lifestyle benefits of long term weight management, follow these simple steps:

» Assess your lifestyle as it is now.

» “Energy In”. Review the food you eat, the quality and quantity of what you eat, your fluid consumption, both content and quantity, how often you eat and drink, and why. Is it because you’re hungry or thirsty or is it because you’re stressed or depressed.

» “Energy Out“. Assess how much exercise you do. If you’re not comfortable or not able to take part in formal exercise such as joining a gym or organised sport, could you do more exercise in your home and work environment? Start out slow. Replace automated activities with exercise and build up.

» Make changes to your lifestyle slowly and at a pace that you’re comfortable with and can continue long term. Blasting into a new diet or exercise regime that lasts for a week or two then resorting back to old bad habits won’t produce results. “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got”.

» Include taking Noni juice daily in the changes that you make to improve your overall health. You will find improvement in gut flora, sleep patterns, bowel movements and energy levels. All of these, combined with an increase in overall health, will assist in permanent and sustainable weight loss.