Obesity is hazardous to your overall well-being. Shedding excess pounds can help bolster your health and energy, but your weight-loss efforts might depend upon your thermostat setting. A recent study by the University College London found that increased use of indoor heating might be linked to rising obesity rates in the United Kingdom, United States and other developed countries. A cold house could help promote weight loss, because chilly environments enhance your basal metabolic rate, BMR.
Obesity
Obesity is associated with depression, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes and particular cancers among other grave issues and conditions.
Body Mass Index
Body mass index, or BMI, is a formula used to establish your weight status based on height and weight. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered standard. A reading of 25 to 29.9 is deemed overweight, and anything above 30 is obese. If you are medically termed obese, consider maintaining a cool household to help combat excess weight.
Basal Metabolic Rate
A calorie is a unit of energy, derived from food and drink. Your body needs a certain number of calories to function properly. However, unexpended calories can be stored as fat that may trigger weight gain. Your BMR accounts for burning roughly 70 percent of the total calories your body expends. Your body is forced to burn more calories in low temperatures to generate heat and warm itself. Conversely, the likelihood of weight gain increases in warm situations when you burn less energy. Former NASA scientist Ray Cronise noted research into this topic in an article published on ABC.News.com in December 2010. "We can use the thermal environment to supercharge our weight loss," said Cronise, who studied the effects of cold on astronauts. "In environments as mild as 60 degrees, some of these people saw metabolism rates boost by as much as 20 percent." Spending time in a cold house can accelerate your metabolism and potentially spark weight loss.
Warning
Keeping a cool house may help trigger weight loss. Still, frigid elements can be dangerous. Therefore, your home should never be excessively cold. Always talk with your doctor before embarking on a new weight-loss plan.
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