Why is it so hard for people to keep weight off?

That’s because losing weight triggers biological mechanisms that make it harder to keep the weight off — including a slower metabolism. Hall says metabolism seems to act like a spring: The more effort you put into losing weight, the more you can stretch that spring out — that is, lose weight.

At what age does weight begin to decline?

As you get older, you start to lose lean body mass like muscle and bone density. As early as age 30, our lean body mass starts to drop by a little over half a pound each year. You might not notice a change when you step on the scale, because the lean weight you lost is often replaced by fat.

Why can’t some people lose weight without willpower?

Even if they lose weight, they are less likely to maintain the weight loss. For people with a very strong genetic predisposition, sheer willpower is ineffective in counteracting their tendency to be overweight. Typically, these people can maintain weight loss only under a doctor’s guidance.

Why can’t I lose weight?

Many individuals who struggle with losing weight have an inefficient liver. When your liver is not functioning properly, it triggers many unfortunate side effects, and lack of weight loss is just one of them. When your liver is inefficient fluid, and systemic inflammation starts to build into the sac around your abdomen.

What happens when you eat more calories than you expend?

If you consume more energy (calories) than you expend, you will gain weight. Excess calories are stored throughout your body as fat. Your body stores this fat within specialized fat cells (adipose tissue) — either by enlarging fat cells, which are always present in the body, or by creating more of them.

What are the health risks of being overweight?

Related Pages. People who have obesity, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following:1,2,3. All-causes of death (mortality) High blood pressure (Hypertension)