WHAT PERIODS OF LIFE ARE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO WEIGHT GAIN?
There are various periods of life where there exists a greater predisposition for weight gain and the subsequent development of obesity.
In Children
Nutrition during the intrauterine life influences the size, composition, body distribution and capacity for the utilization of nutrients in adult life. After birth and after an increase in body weight during the first year, the body mass index decreases and then increases again during the period known as the adipose rebound (4 to 8 years); in children in whom the rebound appears earlier, there is a risk of persistent obesity. During puberty, females accumulate more fat mass than males, though normally it is in the abdominal area; also these periods of life bring with them changes in eating habits that become more anarchic.
In Adults
Weight usually increases after successive pregnancies, although this depends on the weight gained during gestation. There is an approximate net gain of 1 Kg in respect to the weight before gestation. Menopause affects food intake and energy consumption, mainly, because of a lower overall level of physical activity.
Other Situations
Quitting smoking usually produces an increase in weight, more so for heavy smokers (>15 cigarettes/day) because of lower energy expenditure and more eating to compensate for the feelings of abstinence.
Alcohol consumption provokes an increase in weight (overall in abdominal fat) because the accumulated fat from food is not metabolised; however chronic alcoholism usually produces low weight because of a deficit in total nutrition.
The maintained use of diverse pharmaceutical drugs promotes weight gain: tricyclic antidepressants, lithium, sulphonylureas, insulin, beta-blockers, and certain types of birth control, corticoids, anticonvulsants and neuroleptics, among others.