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Most people find that they put on a few pounds at some point in their life, usually after Christmas and New Year, when they have been overindulging in calorific foods and drinks and not burning off the excess calories. Gaining weight over the festive period is not an unusual phenomenon, and many people make a commitment to lose the extra weight once the weather starts to improve. Other people don't bother to address their weight right away and find that it creeps up every year until it becomes too serious for them to ignore. Weight gain can happen at any time of the year, though, and there are always reasons behind it, whether they are addressed or not.

Whereas people who gain weight over Christmas tend to do so because they are enjoying themselves too much to care about their weight, there are people who gain weight due to feelings of depression and an inability to deal with stress effectively. When people are down they tend to stop caring about themselves - they don't care what they look like, what others think, or their health. Some people stop eating when they are depressed; others find that the only thing that gives them any comfort is food, and so eat more than they should. Consuming too many calories can cause them to gain weight, which generally serves only to make them feel even worse and surprise, surprise they turn once again to food.

As well as depression, stress can also cause people to turn to food. Too much stress can affect a person's ability to sleep as well as their appetite, and so late at night when they should be asleep they might find themselves tucking into some calorific goodies which keeps their mind of their problems for a short while, but can worsen their weight problem.

Some people gain weight because they have an underlying health condition such as hyperthyroidism or Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which can cause weight gain and also make it more difficult to lose excess weight. There are also medications such as certain antidepressants which if taken can result in individuals gaining weight.

Most people gain weight simply because they eat too much and do too little exercise and can lose weight if they put their minds to it. There are those who struggle with eating disorders, though, and have a compulsion to overeat or an addiction to food, and not surprisingly spend most of their lives battling to get their weight under control.

Clearly, there are a variety of reasons why people gain weight, and whilst most people can address their weight issues on their own, other people would benefit from seeing a doctor. People generally know if their weight gain is of their own doing, and so if they have not made any changes to their habits weight gain could be indicative of other health problems.

Learn more about this author, Michelle Wilkinson.
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