Gain Weight

Weight gain is an increase in body weight. This can be either an increase in muscle mass, fat deposits, or excess fluids such as water.

Description

In some cases, weight gain can also occur as a result of developing tumors or other abnormal growths. Muscle weight gain can occur as a result of bodybuilding, in which muscle size is increased through strength training.

If enough weight is gained by way of increased body fat deposits, one may become overweight. Overweight is generally defined as having more body fat (adipose tissue) than is optimally healthy.

Weight gain has a latency period. The effect that eating has on weight gain can vary greatly depending on the following factors: exercise regimen, amount of water intake, amount of salt fat or sugar contained in the food, time of day eaten, age of individual, individual's country of origin, individual's overall stress level, and amount of water retention in ankles/feet. Typical latency periods vary from 3 days to two weeks after ingestion.

Being overweight is a common condition, especially where food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary. As much as 64% of the United States adult population is considered either overweight or obese, and this percentage has increased over the last four decades.

Symptoms

• A noticeably larger stomach
• Increase in body fat percentage
• Increase in muscle mass
• Increase in body hydration levels
• Increase in breast size
• The abdomen will bulge outward and upward, creating a distended midsection

Causes

In regards to adipose tissue increases, a person generally gains fat-related weight by increasing food consumption and/or becoming physically inactive. A study, involving more than 12,000 people tracked over 32 years, found that social networks play a surprisingly powerful role in determining an individual's chances of gaining weight, transmitting an increased risk of becoming obese from wives to husbands, from brothers to brothers and from friends to friends.

Energy consumption

Because the body must expend energy to create fat, the amount of energy a person has to expend to lose weight is just slightly smaller than the amount they have to consume in order to gain weight. There are countless mechanisms in the body that manage metabolic rate that effect weight loss and weight gain. Thus, actual weight changes vary between individuals. Also, the computations above assume that all the weight gained and lost is in the form of fat. In reality, this is a mixture of protein, carbohydrates, etc. (in muscle tissue, organs, etc.).

Consider the following theoretical calculation.

• Fat contains about 3,500 kilocalories per pound (32 kJ/g).
• If one consumes 3,500 kcal more than ones body needs, one will gain slightly less than 1 pound (0.45 kg) of fat due to the thermic effect of food. (assuming that none of the energy is converted into lean mass)
• If one burns 3,500 kcal more than you eat, you lose about 1 pound (0.45 kg) of fat, assuming that only fat is burnt (this is close to 100% since even the waste heat counts toward the 3,500 kcal). However, energy sources can come from catabolism of protein (muscles), and fat may be preferentially saved. The use of different body materials as available must be considered.