Why am I gaining weight? This is a question that is sometimes posed when we reach middle age, and middle age spread starts to occur. Perhaps nothing major has changed in your diet or activity level, yet the pounds seem to be coming on. What could be the cause of sudden weight gain?

It is surprising to people when they start to look at a possible cause of sudden weight gain, and what they discover. It can come out of no where! Small things can lead to significant body changes. Perhaps your schedule has changed and all of the sudden you are getting less sleep. If you are up late, of course there is the temptation to have a late night snack. The other issue here is just not getting the same amount of sleep as you used to. Lack of sleep can promote changes in hormone levels which can increase hunger and appetite levels. You can also feel that you are still hungry after eating.

Another cause of sudden weight gain can come from stress. Perhaps the level of stress has increased in your life due to job pressures or family occurrences. When this happens the body responds with a stress hormone which causes an increase in appetite as a response to stress. This can lead to choosing high calorie foods that aid in comforting the stress level. We resort to eating as way to relieve stress, maybe without even realizing what we are doing.

Have you started taking prescription medicine recently? Drugs can have interesting effects on both appetite levels and metabolism activity. Some drugs will even redistribute fat from one part of the body to another: places like the abdomen, the neck, or even the face. This can make it feel like weight is really coming on fast when it’s just being redistributed.

Just plain ageing can be a cause of sudden weight gain. As we get older our metabolism can slow down. If eating habits or activity levels don’t change to correspond with this inevitable fact, then weight gain will occur.

Now I would consider that quiting the smoking habit would be a significant occurrence in ones life. But some people don’t know that without the nicotine in their body, which curbs appetite and increases metabolism, they may gain weight. Now the smoking habit will lead to an early grave, so I would say a little weight gain is still healthier than smoking. The thing to realize here is to watch the cravings for things that replace the smoking habit. If sugary or fatty foods become the replacement, then weight gain will surely be a result.

As always, if you choose healthy foods, eat four to six smaller meals throughout the day, always eat breakfast, get thirty minutes of some form of engaging exercise, five times a week, then you will be closer to avoiding the causes of sudden weight gain that sneak up on people.