Why it may not be your fault if you're fat (비만한 것은 당신의 잘못이 아니다)

[권수인]

Why it may not be your fault if you're fat

By FIONA MACRAE, Daily Mail 22:01pm 16th July 2006

Rising tide: latest figures show almost a quarter of adults are obese

덜 먹고 많이 운동하라는 말은 체중을 줄이는 금과옥조라고 하겠지만 실제로는 소용이 안되는 경우가 많다. 과학자들은 비만해지는 10가지 다른 이유들이 있다고 주장한다.

수면습관이나 약물 기타 이유들로 비만이 올수가 있다. 조사에서 영국은 성인의 1/4이 비만하며 10대 이하에서는 28%가 가체중이거나 비만하다는 통계가 나왔다.

전통적으로 보건 진료 담당자들은 다이어트와 운동-그리고 과중한 의지력에- 치료의 초점을 맛춰왔다. 하지만 미국과 캐나다의 유수한 대학에서는 다른 요인들이 관여한다고 주장한다.

수면의 부족은 한 요인이다.최근 수면 시간은 9시간에서 7시간으로 줄었다. 이는 호르몬의 균형을 변화시켜 식욕과 체지방의 축적을 변화시킨다.

또한 중앙집중식 난방과 에어컨 역시 비만을 유발한다. 너무 춥거나 너무 더우면 인체는 온도를 유지하기 위하여 칼로리를 소모시킨다. 하지만 이런 냉난방 시스템은 칼로리의 소모를 감소시켜 비만을 유발한다.

혈압을 내리기 위한 약물인 베타 블로커 계통의 약은 약 3 파운드의 체중을 증가시키는 것으로 알려져있다. 또한 피임약 역시 11파운드 정도의 체중 증가를 유발한다.

또한 유전적인 요인도 작용하며 비만한 사람은 비슷한 체형의 배우자를 선호하는 경향이 있어서 자녀들도 비만해지는 원인이 된다.

환경 오염 물질들도 비만을 유발한다고 한다. 살충제들과 플라스틱에서 나오는 물질 등등은 체중증가를 유발한다.

또한 나이많은 산모의 아기는 과체중이 되기 쉽다고 한다. 그리고 인간은 나이를 먹어가면서 점차 체중이 증가하는데 최근 평균 수명의 증가로 인하여 전반적인 비만도의 증가는 필연적이라고 한다.

마지막으로 담배를 끊는 것은 체중을 증가시키는 요인이 된다...

코넬대와 예일대학의 연구자들에 의하면 식이나 운동부족에 의한 체중 증가는 비만의 유발에 있어서 단지 '부수적'일 뿐이라는 것이다.

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Eat less and exercise more - it has long been the mantra for shedding those extra pounds. But now it seems that all the hard work may have been in vain.

Scientists say there are 10 other reasons why Britons just keep getting bigger. They claim that sleeping habits, central heating, medicines and even some pollutants can play a role in weight gain.

The latest figures show almost a quarter of adults are obese and 28 per cent of under-10s are either overweight or obese.

Traditionally, health practitioners have focused on diet and exercise - and a large dose of willpower - to treat the problem.

However the scientists from top U.S. and Canadian universities say that these other factors must be considered.

Lack of sleep could be partly to blame, they say in the International Journal of Obesity. In recent years, the average night's sleep has dropped from nine hours to just seven.

Sleep deprivation alters levels of the hormones that regulate food intake and body fat and increase hunger and appetite.

Our reliance on central heating and air conditioning is also a factor. British homes are getting warmer, with average temperatures increasing from 13C to 18C since 1970.

If it is too hot or too cold, we burn calories to cool down or heat up. But if the temperature is just right, the calories may be turned into body fat instead.

Those who take beta-blockers to control their blood pressure can often put on 3lb. Similarly, studies have shown that going on the Pill can add 11lb to a woman's weight.

Mother Nature may also be to blame, with our body shape being partly inherited. The overweight are also more likely to settle with partners of a similar size, and their children are more likely to be obese.

And the use of pollutants is on the rise, say the researchers. The manmade chemicals in pesticides and plastics can interfere with our hormones and lead to weight gain.

Your mother's age and your weight at birth are also important, with older women more likely to have obese children and underweight babies having a bigger chance of being obese in later life.

We are also living longer and tend to put on weight as we get older. Finally, giving up smoking can also help pile on the pounds.

The scientists from Yale, Cornell and Johns Hopkins said there was only 'circumstantial' evidence supporting poor diet and lack of exercise as the main causes of obesity.

Eating trends in Britain would change dramatically if everyone followed official dietary advice, research shows.

Consumption of fresh vegetables would have to rise by 50 per cent to hit recommended targets.

The amount of bread and fish eaten would increase by 45 per cent and 42 per cent respectively.

Butter would cut out entirely and cheese consumption would go down by 75 per cent, the University of Reading researchers found.

OTHER FACTORS BEHIND THE FLAB

• Sleep - Too little increases appetite
• Medicine - Many modern medicines lead to us putting on weight
• Mother's age - Older women are more likely to have obese children
• Choice of partner - Overweight people tend to pair with each other - and have overweight children
• Heating and air conditioning - 'Comfortable' temperatures stop us from burning off fat
• Genes - Body shape may be partly inherited
• Giving up smoking - Nicotine suppresses the appetite
• Manmade chemicals - Some chemicals interfere with hormones that keep fat levels low
• Weight at birth - Underweight babies have a bigger risk of obesity
• Getting older - Weight tends to increase with age