Unexpected things that can affect your weight, Your Friends Are no 1

Your friends

Put on weight? Blame your mate. If just one of your friends becomes obese, you are 57% more likely to gain weight, too. If a friend of a friend gains weight, you are still 20% more likely to gain weight. How's that for fair? The theory is that if you’re influenced by your friends, and they overeat,

you may unwittingly do the same. Surprisingly, your spouse has less sway over your waistline than close friends of the same sex. [Photo: Getty]

Sleeping with the light on

Keeping a light on at light could be contributing to your body fat. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, research participants who slept in the darkest rooms were 21% less likely to be obese than those sleeping in the lightest rooms. It's all to do with the sleep hormone melatonin. Too little melatonin means that we don't properly get into full burning calorie type sleep mode. Switch off the night-light and stick up some black out curtains to give your weight loss goals a boost.

Your Stress Levels

Bad day? Reach for the chocolate and/or the red wine. When you have stress your body steps up its production of cortisol and insulin, which causes your appetite to increase, along with your chances of chomping down on high-calorie foods. But it's not only comfort eating that's to blame. Researchers have also found that stress triggers a hormone called Adamts1, which generates fat cells in the body. Not only will this add to the muffin top, but it also contributes to wrapping fat around internal organs like the liver and pancreas, raising your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. And it's not just your stress levels you need to watch. Research carried out at the University of Michigan, found that having a stressed-out husband or wife can lead to weight gain - with 66% of husbands and 70% of wives at an increased risk of obesity. [Photo: Getty]

Noise

According to findings in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, regular exposure to traffic noise makes you 29% more likely to have a bigger waistline. For every five-decibel increase in noise above 45 decibels (the level of low traffic) we could put on an extra 2mm on our waists, to a Swedish study. The same study also found living under a flightpath doubled the risk of obesity. Other research has revealed that noise could cause your cortisol, a hormone associated with ab fat, to spike. Try playing soothing music to drown out the noise - and balance out the rise in cortisol. [Photo: Getty]

Eating on the hop

No time for breakfast? Grab something on the go. But eating while on the run often leads to eating too quickly, which means your hunger and satisfaction signals can't keep up, so you're likely to then consume more. Instead, sit down and take your time to savour your food [Photo: Getty]

Diet drinks

Those of us who sup the no-cal stuff in a bid to cut calories are actually more likely to gain weight. Research from the University of Texas Health Science Center has revealed that diet fizz drinkers who averaged about a can and a half a day packed 3.2 inches onto their waistlines over the course of nine and a half years, while regular fizzy drinkers gained less than an inch. The reason? It seems that drinking pop with the sweet taste, but without the calories to go along with it makes us actually crave those calories. Go figure! [Photo: Getty

Not getting enough sleep

Not getting enough Zzzs doesn't just make you cranky, it can also cause you to pile on the pounds. Researchers at King's College London have discovered that not getting enough sleep at night could cause you to overeat during the day. The study found that those suffering from sleep deprivation could consume an extra 385 calories a day as they eat more fatty food and protein. Scientists explained that not getting enough shut eye affects the body's hormones, meaning people need to eat more to feel full. Early night tonight! [Photo: Getty]

Source: Yahoo stylistuk