Why Do People Get Fat?

Some people were pretty slim and in shape several years ago, but may have suddenly found themselves bordering on obesity in recent years! They then constantly question themselves why they have become fat. In actual fact, the answer to their question is very simple. The problem is that most people do not believe and refuse to admit that they are making a very simple mistake; that is they are eating much more than they are exercising.

The reason people gain weight is really very simple. To illustrate my point, if you were to take in 3000 calories daily and only burn off 1500 calories through exercising or any physical activity during the day, your body will absorb the remaining 1500 calories and convert them into fat. For every 3500 calories your body accumulates, you will gain one pound in weight.

However, the one pound of weight you see on the weighing scale need not necessarily be fat, it can also be muscle. The problem is that you are probably experiencing fat gain and not muscle gain. The reason is because not all calories are created equal. 100 calories coming from junk foods versus 100 calories from quality, low fat and low carbohydrate foods are going to yield very different results for you.

One example is the importance of taking protein. The macro-nutrient, protein, is responsible for muscle growth and maintenance. Since muscle is not as efficient in storing energy, your body will first burn any available muscle before fat, if there is not sufficient protein intake to sustain it. That is why people on very extreme diets, with very low calories diet find themselves losing as much, if not more, muscle than fat. Even the people who follow this diet but exercise regularly may find that they will never truly tone up, as their calories have actually gone towards accumulating fats and burning muscle!

So, the first answer I gave is actually still correct, and that people do get fat as they accumulate an excess of energy within the body. However, if your goal is not only just to lose weight, but also to look slim and toned, with good muscle definition, then going on a crash diet will not work as well. On top of potentially giving health problems, going on a crash diet will also burn away your hard-gained muscles rather than burning away your fats, and not give you the type of look you are trying to achieve.