Obesity often runs in families, not just because of shared genes but also shared habits. If parents or close relatives struggle with weight, you may be more likely to as well. This doesn’t mean weight gain is guaranteed, it simply means you may have to be more mindful about prevention and management.

Mental health strongly affects physical health. When you’re under stress or dealing with depression, your body releases hormones, like the stress hormone cortisol, that increase appetite and cravings for high-calorie foods.

Emotional eating can make weight harder to control, and low energy from depression often leads to less movement.

Adults need at least 7 hours of good sleep a night.

Too little sleep disrupts hormones that regulate hunger (ghrelin and leptin), making you feel hungrier even when your body doesn’t need more food. Poor sleep also reduces energy for physical activity.

Foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats (like chips, fast food, or packaged snacks) are easy to overeat because they don’t keep you full for long.

They also trigger brain reward centers, making you crave more. Regular intake of highly processed foods is strongly linked to weight gain and obesity.

Certain medical conditions make weight gain more likely. For example:

• PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome): Causes hormonal imbalances that increase appetite and insulin resistance.

• Hypothyroidism (especially Hashimoto’s): Slows metabolism, so the body burns fewer calories.

• Cushing’s Syndrome: Leads to higher cortisol levels, which cause fat storage.

Pain, fatigue, or disability can make physical activity difficult.

Over time, this reduced movement lowers calorie burning and can make weight gain more likely, even if eating habits don’t change.

Some medications have side effects that cause weight gain. Examples include:

• Insulin or steroids: Can increase appetite and fat storage.

• Antidepressants or antipsychotics: May slow metabolism or affect hunger signals.

• Hormonal birth control: Can sometimes lead to fluid retention or weight changes.

Insulin is a hormone that helps move sugar from your blood into your cells for energy.

When your body doesn’t respond well to insulin, sugar builds up in the blood, and the body stores more fat. This makes weight loss harder and increases the risk for type 2 diabetes.

Epigenetics refers to changes in how genes work, influenced by environment and circumstances before or after birth.

For example, if a baby is exposed to high blood sugar in the womb, their body may become more prone to insulin resistance or obesity later in life.

Epigenetics helps explain why two people with the same genes may have different health outcomes depending on their life experiences.