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Everyone knows that fatty food consumption and lack of exercise are prime contributors to America's growing waistline, note researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. But in addition to what they call the "big two," factors like the growing use of antidepressant medications and air conditioning may also be responsible, the scientists say.
Writing in the International Journal of Obesity, study author David Allison said too much attention is being paid to the "big two" causes of obesity. Allison cited other factors, including the growing use of antipsychotics, antidepressants, antihistamines, and other drugs known to cause weight gain, Bloomberg news service reported.
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And America's growing reliance on air conditioning may be interfering with the natural biological process of burning energy to keep our bodies within a certain temperature, Allison said. "Yesterday in Alabama it was 100 degrees," he told Bloomberg. "If you were here in 1960, with no air conditioning in a car or restaurant, you probably wouldn't want to go to the all-you-can-eat buffet."
Allison's research cited other factors contributing to the obesity problem, including former cigarette smokers who eat as a substitute, adults getting less sleep, and mothers giving birth later in life, Bloomberg reported.
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