Why do we gain weight in winter?

3 Reasons for winter weight gain

It might feel like we gain more weight around our midsection over wintertime - in comparison to the rest of the year.

There are a couple of reasons for this...

1. Darkness. Melatonin, a hormone triggered by darkness makes us feel sleepy and this could increase our cravings for food to give us energy.

2. Unhappiness. In winter we tend to develop ennui - a lower level of happiness, especially when it's cold, rainy and dark outside. This is when we are twice as likely to reach for comfort food to cheer ourselves up.

3. Less vitamin D. Researchers suggest the lack of vitamin D from sunshine lowers the body's ability to break down fats, and triggers fat storage. So a lot of the calories you consume from fat are stored instead of being used for energy.

Tips

• Eat more oily fish and get outside for 20 minutes when the sun shines, to boost your vitamin D.

• Increase your exercise to rev up your energy levels and get those feel-good endorphins flowing.

Recommended reading: Are your curtains making you fat?

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