| Why are so many people fat? A group of 20 scientists from the United States, Canada and Italy went beyond the standard diet and exercise thinking and looked at more than 100 other possible causes. In a report published today in the International Journal of Obesity, they reveal 10 that they said had some validity:
1. Inadequate sleep. (Average sleep amounts have fallen, and many studies tie sleep deprivation to weight gain.)
2. Endocrine disruptors, which are substances in some foods that may alter fats in the body.
3. Nice temperatures. (Air conditioning and heating limit calories burned from sweating and shivering.)
4. Fewer people smoking. (Less appetite supression.)
5. Medicines that cause weight gain.
6. Population changes. (More middle-agers and Hispanics, who have higher obesity rates.)
7. Older birth moms. (That correlates with heavier children).
8. Genetic influences during pregnancy.
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