6 common habits that are secretly making you gain weight

In addition to overeating and long-term physical inactivity, these common lifestyle habits can potentially cause you to gain weight.

1. Eating in a hurry

Eating too fast is not only bad for your stomach but also makes you gain weight easily. (Photo: QQ News)

Eating too fast is not only harmful to the stomach but also makes you gain weight. In the Health Times, doctor and nutritionist Trieu Ky Hoa of the People's Hospital of the North Jiangsu region (China) said that when eating too fast, most of the food is not chewed thoroughly, not creating enough food juice to stick to the stomach wall, so even if you have eaten quite a lot, you still feel hungry.

On the other hand, chewing time is too short, causing the vagus nerve to be in a state of over-excitement, and the feeling of hunger is also increased accordingly. As a result, fast eaters often eat too much before the brain has time to send a signal to stop.

2. Eat three meals irregularly

Many people often skip meals, eat at irregular times, and have irregular meals. This irritates the stomach, leading to a series of stomach diseases such as chronic gastritis, stomach ulcers, and enteritis.

Dr. Liu Diangang - Head of the Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University (China) said in the People's Daily in 2022 that irregular eating will cause weight gain. Irregular eating will make you feel hungry, leading to eating more at the next meal, easily eating more foods rich in fat and salt, and also creating the feeling of wanting to eat at night more. These habits will gradually cause you to gain weight uncontrollably.

3. Replace rice with fruit

Eating fruit instead of rice can be harmful, especially for people with stomach problems. (Photo: QQ News)

Dr. Luu Dien Cuong added that many people like to eat fruit instead of rice, thinking that no matter how much fruit they eat, they will not gain weight. Although fruit can help the body supplement vitamins and some minerals, they should not eat too much, especially for people with stomach problems.

For example, lemon, kiwi, hawthorn... are fruits rich in citric acid, eating a lot will cause the stomach to secrete more acid. Jujube is difficult to digest and will make stomach diseases more serious. Pears and mangosteen are cold fruits, people with stomach problems if they eat a lot will damage stomach function.

4. Staying up late often

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2021 concluded that going to bed after 10 p.m. is considered staying up late. People who regularly stay up late and lack sleep are more likely to be obese and have belly fat.

Specifically, compared to those who go to bed between 8pm and 10pm, those who go to bed after 10pm have a 20% higher risk of obesity (BMI) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference). In particular, those who go to bed after 2am have a 35% higher risk of obesity and a 38% higher risk of abdominal obesity.

5. Habit of turning on the light when sleeping

People who turn on the lights or watch TV while sleeping are more likely to gain weight. (Photo: QQ News)

In 2019, scientists followed 43,722 women for 5.7 years and found that those who slept with the lights on or watched TV were more likely to gain weight. Compared to those who slept in rooms without light, these women had a 17% higher risk of gaining 5kg or more, and a 22% and 33% higher risk of becoming overweight or obese, respectively.

6. Often stressed

Explaining this issue, Associate Professor, Doctor - Doctor Thai Hieu Linh - Head of the Department of Endocrinology, People's Hospital of Peking University (China) said that when there is too much stress, the adrenal glands will secrete more cortisol hormone. This hormone causes blood sugar levels to increase. High blood sugar levels will stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin, causing the body to produce a feeling of hunger, thereby increasing the absorption of sugar and other foods.

On the other hand, when we are too stressed, we are often not in the mood to choose healthy foods, and we are also unable to exercise regularly. Over time, this condition will lead to excess fat accumulation and obesity.

Quoc Thai (Source: QQ News)

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