Need to talk to us?
What can we help you find?
2014 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02462
617-243-6000
Open 24 hoursLab Hours and Holiday Hours Vary
307 W Central St
Natick, MA 01760
617-243-5345
159 Wells Ave
Newton Centre, MA 02459
617-243-5777
111 Norfolk Street
Walpole, MA 02081maps
978 Worcester Road (rte 9)
Wellesley, Massachusetts 02482
781-235-5200
Open 24 hours
Lab Hours and Holiday Hours Vary
25 Washington Street
Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481
617-219-1520
9 Hope Ave
Waltham, MA 02453
617-243-5590
Monday through Saturday: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
Section Menu
At Newton Wellesley Hospital’s Center for Weight Loss Surgery, we understand that obesity is a complex disease and not simply a result of overeating. Factors that can contribute to obesity include:
Genetics
This is the role that genes can plan in the tendency to gain excess weight. Our bodies are believed to have a number of genes directly related to our weight. Just as some genes determine eye color or height, others affect our appetite, our ability to feel full or satisfied, our metabolism, our fat-storing ability, and even our natural activity levels.
Environment
Environmental and genetic factors are closely connected. If you have a genetic predisposition towards obesity, then the modern American lifestyle and environment may make controlling weight more difficult. Fast food, long days sitting at a desk, and suburban neighborhoods that require cars instead of walking all magnify hereditary factors such as metabolism and efficient fat storage.
Metabolism
We used to think of weight gain or loss as only a function of calories ingested and then burned. Obesity researchers now talk about a theory called the set point – a sort of thermostat in the brain that makes people resistant to either weight gain or loss. If you try to override your set point by drastically cutting your calorie intake, your brain responds by lowering metabolism and slowing activity. You then gain back any weight you lost.
Eating disorders and medical conditions
Weight loss surgery is not a cure for eating disorders. And there are medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism, that can also cause weight gain. That's why it's important to work with your doctor to make sure you do not have a condition that should be treated with medication and/or counseling.