Does Your Central Heating Make You Fat?

There are quite a number of obvious lifestyle choices that can contribute to making someone obese. One of the more overlooked factors according to researchers at Maastricht University could be exposure to central heating. Their studies have shown that heat can increase the potential for fat storage in the body. 69865646_largethermostat1Commonly, it was believed that warm climates helped stimulate fat loss since higher temperatures can burn more calories. This might be the case when exercising in a hot room, but remaining sedentary in an environment with a hot temperature can lead to fat storage. A hot environment can be described as one that goes above 19C (66F) can contribute to fat storage. Researchers at Maastricht University Medical Centre have suggested that when the temperature is too high, then the body is no longer required to burn more calories in order to keep warm. Obviously, if the body is not burning a lot of calories, then the extra calories end up being stored away as fat. That said, lowering the temperature in a home is going to automatically contribute to weight loss. Increased exercise and a sensible diet must always be a part of any serious weight loss plan. Tweaking temperature levels can be a way to enhance and boost the results that are primarily sought through better diet and exercise strategies. The assessment may overlook certain factors. For one, a person who is sedentary in cold weather could be prompted to eat more. A person exposed to cold weather might be stimulated to eat more calories. Eating more calories means the person ingesting them does little more than gain weight. Extra calories that are not burned end up being stored as fat. Of course, not everyone who is exposed to a colder environment is going to automatically eat more. This is a possible response and not a guaranteed one. At the core of the alternative research report is the assumption that people who need warmth will move around a bit more. When you move, you are expending energy and that means you would be burning more of them. Making life more comfortable by turning up the temperature can lead to less movement and more stored fat. Yet, there have been other studies that have shown that hotter homes have thinner people. A study was conducted on the stats of 100,000 homes in England and the study revealed that those who lived in homes with higher temperatures were thinner. Once again, the conclusion here is that the higher the temperature, then the less likely one is to reach for extra snacks and food. With so much conflicting news, someone hoping to lose weight may not be sure what to do. The answer is simple. You would have to experiment with the temperatures in your home. Upon discovering what temperature level is going to be conducive to your weight loss goals, you can then take the right steps to maintain this heat level. As always, this must be done while also being very careful about what you eat.