Research continues to come out showing that there may be more to the weight loss equation than the simple idea that we just need to burn more calories than we eat to lose weight. A 2015 paper was published that found that Americans nowadays are struggling more to manage their weight compared to a few decades ago – even if they eat and exercise to the same extent and consume similar amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

This study found that while many Americans are consuming more calories now compared to four decades ago, there are other important factors that could be contributing to the rise in BMI and weight in the population. Here are some of the factors that scientists are considering:

• Stress and poor sleep may impact hormones in a way that makes it harder to lose weight.

• Toxins in the environment may impact the way your body uses calories. These are chemicals that can be found in household products and food and they may interfere with weight management.

• More of the population is on medications that could contribute to weight gain.

• The types of good bacteria in the gut may have changed in the population over the decades and this may be influencing the amount of calories that the body extracts from the diet - leading to weight gain.  

A lot more research needs to be done on these non-diet and non-exercise factors but it’s definitely exciting that our view of weight management is expanding. This could be really valuable information for those who feel like they are eating and exercising appropriately and still struggling to manage weight.

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Source: PMID: 26383959