Obesity and weight loss – It’s complicated
Published: 28 Nov 2019
If you think weight loss is just about “trying harder” and “exercising more”, think again.
Dr Yvonne Lim, Assistant Professor in the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine’s Department of Paediatrics and Consultant in the Division of Paediatric Endocrinology at the National University Hospital, said that a common misconception about obesity is that individuals lack willpower or become obese due to bad lifestyle choices – but it is not that straightforward.
According to health experts, obesity is more complex than people think. Various factors can affect body weight and how the body retains fat, and some are beyond a person’s control or choice.
Dr Lim added that this includes prenatal factors, infancy and childhood habits. Referencing the GUSTO study, a birth-cohort study which looks at how pregnancy and early childhood influence the health and development of women and their children, she shared that a mothers’ weight and health status during pregnancy may affect their child’s weight later in life.
Other risk factors that may increase a child’s risk of obesity include maternal obesity before pregnancy, mother’s excessive weight gain during pregnancy, gestational diabetes and shorter duration of breastfeeding.
Click here to read the full article for other causes of extreme weight gain.
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