Why do many people eat little but still gain weight?

Specialist Doctor Nguyen Tran Nhu Thuy (Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital - Branch 3) said that many people, despite dieting, reducing fat, reducing starch and using many fasting regimens according to scientific instructions, still have difficulty losing weight, lose weight slowly, and are even overweight or obese. The question is why some people eat very little or even diet but still cannot lose weight? From the perspective of traditional medicine, being overweight is not only due to diet, but is also related to deep factors inside the body regarding the spleen, digestion, blood, etc.

Weak spleen can cause overweight

In traditional medicine, the spleen is the main organ responsible for digesting, transporting, and metabolizing food and fluids in the body. When the spleen is weakened, the body's ability to digest and metabolize food decreases. At that time, even if you eat less, the body still cannot transport and absorb well, leading to the accumulation of "phlegm and dampness" and excess fat.

For example, a person may only eat a small amount of food, but due to spleen deficiency, the energy from the food is not fully metabolized, leading to accumulation, causing overweight and obesity.

Phlegm-damp syndrome

Phlegm and dampness can occur when the body has a disorder in the metabolism of Qi and blood, causing excess substances to not be excreted but to stagnate in the body. When Qi and blood stagnate with spleen deficiency, the body cannot metabolize waste products such as fat, water, or excess phlegm. Instead, these substances accumulate in the body, especially in parts such as the abdomen, thighs, or arms, forming excess fat even though you do not eat much.

"For example, people with phlegm and dampness often feel heavy in the body and easily accumulate excess fat without eating much. Because the blood and energy are blocked, the process of transporting and eliminating excess substances is reduced, so even if they eat less, it is still difficult to lose weight or lose very little," said Dr. Thuy.

Blocked blood circulation reduces the process of transporting and eliminating excess substances, so even if you eat less, it is still difficult to lose weight or you lose very little.

Blood stasis

In traditional medicine, Qi and blood play a role in transporting essences and energy to nourish the body, helping the body to function. When Qi and blood are not circulating smoothly, the body's metabolic and excretory functions are impaired, leading to the accumulation of excess substances, especially fat. Parts of the body can become sluggish, unable to burn calories or excess fat even with small amounts of food intake.

For example, people with stagnant blood and qi due to lack of exercise, stress, or unhealthy lifestyles often experience obesity despite eating little. Even though they do not eat much food, the body cannot convert food into energy efficiently, causing excess fat to accumulate.

Psychological and emotional factors

According to traditional medicine, emotional, psychological, and mental health factors play a very important role in causing overweight and obesity. Stress, anxiety, or prolonged stress can affect the function of the body's internal organs, such as excessive worry harming the spleen, excessive thinking harming the lungs, irritability harming the liver, and excessive fear harming the kidneys.

"These disorders all affect the process of transporting nutrients in the body, reducing the ability to metabolize food and causing stagnation of blood and energy. At this time, the body can accumulate excess fat even without eating much," said Dr. Thuy.

Typically, a person who is stressed or under prolonged stress may tend to not want to eat, eat less but still be overweight or obese due to disorders in the endocrine system and imbalances in the body, leading to the accumulation of excess fat and difficulty in losing weight. Thus, the fact that a person eats less but is still overweight or obese can come from many factors within the body, not simply due to diet.

Traditional medicine explains that the body can accumulate excess fat due to imbalance in internal organs, poor blood circulation, lack of heat or psychological factors. Therefore, to solve the problem of overweight and obesity, we need to understand the underlying causes, thereby adjusting our diet, exercise and mental management appropriately.

"If you are having difficulty losing weight despite eating less, you may need to seek further advice on your general health. Support from traditional medical treatments can effectively help improve your body condition," Dr. Thuy shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-nhieu-nguoi-an-it-van-thua-can-185250205151840216.htm