Why are we gaining weight as a nation?

There may be a few exceptions but most people gain weight because they have consumed more calories than their body needs. The excess is stored as fat around the body. And it doesn’t happen overnight. It often takes year after year of small increases, each change hardly noticeable, which build into becoming overweight.

In many, many cases the individual will argue that eating habits haven’t changed. Yet their body fat builds up, ounce by ounce, week by week. Maybe there has been a subtle change; sugared cereal for breakfast in place of simpler cereal, or a shop bought sandwich and a packet of crisps each lunchtime instead of one made at home, a couple of chocolate biscuits with coffee in the afternoon, maybe a glass of wine with mid week evening meals.
...first recognise what is happening and then start making small changes...

Perhaps the portion size changed. Is the packet of crisps each day a 50g grab bag instead of the 25g standard one? Is the sandwich a triple chicken selection instead of a normal double? Do you only get four glasses out of a bottle of wine these days when you used to get six?

Small changes in diet are compounded by small changes in lifestyle. Just about everyone uses their car more often, even for short journeys. Sporting hobbies become a little less frequent or, if they are maintained, the intensity of each session or event drops. Time spent in front of televisions and computer monitors has increased – so what has decreased? Did the old activity burn more calories than the new one?

Each small change in food choice, portion size and activity level tips the balance between what we consume and what we expend one way or the other. The examples above all push the balance towards a calorie excess which leads to fat storage and weight gain.

So the trick is to first recognise what is happening and then start making small changes in the other direction; better food selection, smarter portion control, burn calories at a faster rate. You can read more about how to achieve these improvements in the Weight Loss pages.