Service turnover | Overweight causes

Service turnover

The activity metabolic rate is the amount of calories consumed by exercise and work in addition to the basal metabolic rate. It depends on physical activity and varies greatly from person to person. To estimate the total energy consumption, multiply the resting energy consumption by 1.6 for men and by 1.5 for women if they are not very physically active. For medium and high activity, multiplications by 1.8 and 2.0 for men and 1.7 and 1.9 for women are indicated. Note: Overweight is always caused by a positive energy balance.

Physical activity

The spontaneous physical activity seems to be genetically anchored. Physical inactivity can cause a positive energy balance (excess calories converted into fat). In most cases, however, overweight obesity is a mixture of both: little exercise and too much energy intake.

Undoubtedly, over-nutrition is one of the main reasons for the development of overweight. Eating habits, eating patterns and preferences for certain foods vary greatly from family to family. Overweight people often prefer foods with a high energy density, i.e. rich in fat and sugar or a combination of both.

These foods are tasty, low in volume, high in energy density (many calories) and low in satiety. The alcohol consumed also plays a role. It promotes weight gain and thus the development of overweight not only as an additional source of energy, but also as an inhibitor of fat burning.

Mental causes

Stress influences the eating behaviour. “Anger hits the stomach” or “Love goes through the stomach” are sentences that show that anger, conflicts, work, exams, noise but also boredom, loneliness and sadness (grief bacon) can increase the food intake of some people. However, overweight persons are psychologically no more or less conspicuous from their personality characteristics than normal-weight persons. You can find a lot of helpful information on this topic written by our medical psychotherapist Christoph Barthel at Overweight and Psychology

Eating behaviour

The eating behavior of overweight people often shows characteristic features and symptoms.

  • Nibbling Frequent intake of small amounts of food, usually easily available and good tasting food, without hunger leads to obesity.
  • Craving”: The intense desire (no hunger) for a certain food outside of meals is in the foreground. The affected person usually cannot resist this desire.

    Food is eaten until satiation, not beyond. The amount of food eaten varies.

  • VomitingBulimia Unlike snacking or ravenous appetite, vomiting is denied in most cases. Vomiting as a weight control measure is mainly found in women. In women >30 this behavior is found in 8% of all cases, in younger women up to 20%. You can also find more information under our topic bulimia.