The Connection Between Obesity And Portable Or Central Air Conditioners

Air conditioning is what most people turn to when the weather is hot and steamy to keep them cool and comfortable. But even though it is usually a comfort, could it be a cause of obesity? Some studies say yes.

While some studies agree that portable or central air conditioning can be a cause of obesity, they differ on the exact reason that a person exposed to air conditioning gains weight. One theory is that air conditioning keeps people in the thermoneutral zone. This is a temperature range in which the body does not have to regulate its temperature. If the temperature of the body is above or below this zone, the amount of energy the body expends is increased and energy stores like fat are decreased. Since the widespread use of heaters and portable or central air conditioners, homes and offices remain at relatively the same temperature for the whole year. The body does not have to spend as much energy because there is no warming up or cooling down. This leads to increased fat stores. A slightly different theory is that air conditioning makes you hungry because the body burns calories to warm you up. You’ll feel more compelled to eat to make up those burned calories.

When these air conditioning/obesity studies came out there were a lot of dissenting opinions. Some experts did not believe there was enough evidence to tie air conditioning to obesity causally. They pointed out the fact that there are thin people in different climates. They also turned to the usual suspects when it comes to the causes of obesity: an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise.

Surprisingly there are some sneakier factors that might be causing obesity. One is sleep deprivation. Tired people most likely to do have the energy to exercise. This lack of energy also leads them to temptation when it comes to eating or overeating in an attempt to gain energy. Quitting smoking was another sneaky factor. Some people replace the habit of lighting up with snacking. Some ethnic groups have a higher prevalence for obesity as well. There is also a theory that since people marrying might be more likely to pick a partner that is similarly sized; two obese people will give birth to obese offspring. Another theory gaining speed is that the older a woman is when she gives birth, the higher the risk is of her child being obese.