Causes of overweight: The well-known and the lesser-known ones

What are overweight and obesity?

Overweight and obesity are conditions characterized by an increase in body fat, which can become pathophysiological when the excess weight not only affects the patient’s physical agility and self-esteem but also raises inflammation levels.

This makes individuals more vulnerable to non-communicable chronic diseases in adulthood, such as hypertension, high blood sugar or diabetes, as well as other autoimmune and inflammatory disorders (Gaytan-Rivera et al., 2022).

The American Diabetes Association defines an individual as overweight when their Body Mass Index (BMI)—calculated as current weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared—is greater than 25 kg/m², and as obese when their BMI exceeds 30 kg/m² (World Health Organization or WHO, 2002).

Risk factors and causes of overweight and obesity

Overweight and obesity are global health challenges with complex roots. From genetics to daily habits, it’s essential to understand the risk factors and causes:

• Unhealthy lifestyle: Disorganized eating habits can lead to increased hunger at mealtimes, and physical inactivity can significantly impact your dietary intake. Both are influential factors.
• Hormonal disorders: Conditions such as hyperinsulinism, hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, among others, can contribute to weight gain.
• Genetic factors: If your family has a history of these same hormonal disorders, and your sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle triggers them, your body weight may also be influenced by genetics.
• Stress and lack of sleep: Daily stress and insufficient rest raise cortisol levels—the stress hormone—which keeps your body in “energy-saving mode,” leading to fat accumulation.
• Socioeconomic factors: Sometimes we choose food based on price rather than nutritional value. In some countries, processed foods made with cereals, dairy, and sugar are subsidized, making them more appealing.

In addition, here are 3 lesser-known causes:

• Personal food sensitivities: When intestinal permeability is triggered by “enemy” foods, insulin levels may spike, promoting fat storage.
• Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: Eating foods high in carbohydrates, particularly those containing gluten, can cause inflammation due to difficult digestion, which in turn spikes insulin.
• Intestinal dysbiosis: When harmful microorganisms inflame your gut, or when there’s a higher number of Firmicutes bacteria, they can promote the storage of body fat.

Consequences of overweight and obesity

The factors mentioned above contribute to insulin resistance—an excess of this hormone promotes fat storage in tissues and leads to health problems such as high blood pressure and increased inflammation:

• Cardiovascular diseases: Hyperinsulinism and inflammation, as stressors on the body, can trigger conditions like high blood pressure or strokes.
• Digestive issues: In addition to common problems like reflux, gastritis, or heartburn from high-fat or processed-food diets, difficult-to-digest foods can alter your gut microbiota and cause gas, as well as changes in bowel movements like diarrhea or constipation.
• Metabolic diseases: An imbalance in energy metabolism caused by hyperinsulinism can lead to high blood sugar levels, which in the long term may cause diabetes and other metabolic syndrome disorders such as hyperuricemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or gallbladder issues.
• Fatty liver and liver cirrhosis: Excess intake of simple carbohydrates or fructose from processed foods must be metabolized by the liver. When overwhelmed, the liver stores the excess as fat. Over time, this change in liver structure causes scarring—known as cirrhosis.
• Obstructive sleep apnea: Excess weight can block airways during sleep, making it harder to breathe and causing you to feel like you're out of breath while sleeping.
• Osteoarthritis: Extra weight also impacts joints, causing inflammation and reducing quality of life, even making physical activity more difficult.
• Allergies: Constant biological stress—such as from consuming foods your body can’t properly digest—can dysregulate your immune system, making you more vulnerable to allergies, autoimmune diseases, and even certain types of cancer.

Treatment for obesity and overweight

The treatment of obesity involves a comprehensive health approach that includes:

• Physical activity: Simply using more energy through any type of enjoyable physical exercise can help you reach a healthy weight.
• Personalized nutrition plan: Evaluate your energy intake not just from fat but also from sugar. We recommend a detailed assessment to help you begin healthy eating through your 3R Immunonutrition Protocol:

1. Remove “enemy” foods: In addition to fast food or foods high in fat, consider those that are hard to digest and that also spike insulin levels—such as cereals and flours or their derivatives, dairy products, and sugar, which also disrupt your gut microbiota.
2. Understand how your gut reacts to the foods you eat: This can be done through a Food Sensitivity Test.
3. Study your gut microbiome: Some harmful microorganisms—especially those from the Firmicutes phylum—are more closely associated with weight gain (Rivera-Carranza T, et al., 2022).

We’ve explored the causes, consequences, and multiple intervention methods that show it is possible to regain control of your health with the right support. Now, the next step is in your hands—make the decision to improve your life by scheduling a consultation with a nutritionist to begin your weight loss journey.

REFERENCES:

• Efectos Perjudiciales de la Inflamación de Bajo Grado Ocasionada por la Obesidad Deleterious Effects of Obesity-Induced Low-Grade Inflammation. Jose Francisco Gaytan-Rivera, Raquel Guerrero-Albac, Fernando Ochoa-Cortes, Alma Barajas-Espinosa, 2022
• Congreso de Obesidad ADA: https://www.fesemi.org/grupos/diabetes/webinars/resumenes-congreso-ada-2022-obesidad-objetivo-tratamiento-dm 
• Trasplante de microbiota fecal para el tratamiento de la obesidad y de sus comorbilidades asociadas: Revisión Chil Nutr 2022; 49(2): 238-249 http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-75182022000200238