ORLANDO, Fla. – According to the World Health Organization, the number of people who are obese has nearly tripled globally since 1975.
The WHO estimates that more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight. Having excess body weight increases a person’s risk of type-two diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.
But being a couch potato and not exercising may not be the only reasons the scales are tipping in the wrong direction.
It’s not always your diet and lack of exercise that can cause you to gain weight.
Two different studies out of universities in Canada suggest plastics in household items such as water bottles, freezer bags, and food containers may contribute to our bulging waistlines.
One theory claims that chemicals in everyday plastic products promote weight gain by changing human metabolism. The chemicals promote the growth of fat cells and alter hormones that regulate appetite.
But plastics aren’t the only culprit. Researchers at Wake Forest proved dieters who sleep five hours or less gained 2.5 times more weight than those who slept between seven and eight hours.
A study conducted at the University of Vermont found that overweight participants who cut back half of their normal TV time saved an additional 119 calories a day. Watching just one less show would help you lose 12 pounds in a year.
Don’t rush your meals. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it’s full.
A study in Appetite showed slow eaters consumed 66 fewer calories per meal. Although that may not seem like a lot, if you can do that at every meal, you’ll lose more than 20 pounds a year.
Also, the more people you eat with, the more weight you gain. According to a study published in the journal Nutrition, a meal consumed with just one other person is typically 33 percent larger than a meal enjoyed alone.