HOW YOUR HORMONES AFFECT YOUR WEIGHT
Many overweight women choose to believe that their excessive weight may be due to glandular disorders such as imbalances in the thyroid or adrenal glands, but in reality less than one in a hundred overweight persons should be blaming their glands. Some of these women go to a hormone specialist (endocrinologist) in search of such a glandular cause and this is often a frustrating experience because if you are obese and otherwise well, it is unlikely that your glands are at fault.
Most women who are obese, become that way simply because they take in more energy in the form of calories or kilojoules (4.2 kilojoules = 1 calorie) than the amount of energy they spend in maintaining and exercising the body. You require about 1,000 to 1,500 calories every 24 hours just to maintain internal bodily functions, with the exact number of needed calories determined by your metabolic rate. Those with a slow metabolic rate have a higher chance of obesity and often complain that the mere sight or smell of food adds a few extra fat cells. Conversely, those with a high metabolic rate can often eat high calorie foods with impunity and remain alluringly svelte.
THE METABOLIC RATE
The metabolic rate of an individual appears to be the most important determinant of body type and weight. Conventional medical texts tell us that metabolic rate is determined by several factors, namely:
1. The function of your thyroid gland;
2. Your genetic inheritance;
3. The amount of exercise you do as exercise increases the metabolic rate;
4. Your personality type or how you respond to stress. In hyperactive people, stress increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system which releases adrenalin and increases body heat production. This causes more calories to be burnt and switches off the appetite. In easy-going or more phlegmatic types, stress seems to act on the hypothalamus in the opposite way, stimulating the appetite control centre and increasing the intake of calories which causes weight gain. Many obese women will relate to this and find themselves always snacking as a means of coping with stress;
5. The number of calories you consume daily. A low calorie diet lowers the metabolic rate.
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