No matter how many salads I ate, no matter how many yoga classes I attended, the numbers on the scale refused to budge," Dhara thought to herself. She blamed her eating habits for her stubborn weight gain until a visit to her doctor revealed the real culprit: hormonal imbalance. Like Dhara, many people struggle with weight issues because of hormonal imbalances rather than their lifestyles. These signs can be identified early, and the real cause could then be diagnosed and remedied.

Weight issues are not the result of diet and exercise. Hormones also affect metabolism and hunger and the rate in which fat is stored. According to this chiropractor and acupuncturist, Dr Pranav Vyas based in Chicago suburbs, took to social platform TikTok and shared five signs that hormones could be ruining the fat-loss game:

1. Difficulty Losing Weight Despite Effort

You have tried all of the fad diets, exercise routines, and counted calories but no movement in scale. It may be hormonal imbalance.

Some of the main hormones that significantly affect weight loss include insulin which is associated with regulation of blood sugar level and cortisol, which is your stress hormone. High cortisol enhances activity of hunger and appetite and keeps metabolism from working effectively. No dieting will be enough to get you off those excess pounds with such a hormonal imbalance.

2. Stubborn Midsection Fat

Well if you happen to have a "beer belly" or "muffin top" that refuses to budge, hormones may be a part of the problem. For men: Decreased testosterone leads to increased fat accumulation around the center of the abdomen. Fat tissue itself makes things worse because the body converts testosterone into estrogen from the fat cells. For women: Menopause typically brings about a decline in estrogen, redistribution of fat to the center of the body.

These hormonal imbalances make it incredibly difficult to lose belly fat through dieting or exercise alone.

3. Weight Gain in Hips, Thighs, or Buttocks

If your weight is piling on the lower body, estrogen might be the cause. For example, it has been noted that as women advance toward menopause, their estrogen levels become low, leading to noticeable changes in the distribution of fats. Weight gain in those areas may also be associated with the other manifestations of menopause like flashes of heat or mood swings.

4. Loss of Muscles and Flabbiness

Are your work out making you flabber rather than strong? To date, while exercising regularly, loss of muscle can be linked with hormonal imbalances. Stress elevates levels of cortisol, which contributes to the degradation of muscle tissue. Low testosterone and estrogen contribute to low muscle mass. This impacts metabolism and helps in weight gain.

Minimal body muscles make your body burn less calories hence gaining weight is hard as well.

5. Increased Appetite

Be to blame ghrelin, the "hunger hormone"

Ghrelin signals your brain to feed, although it can stimulate overeating at high levels. This may cause:

- Calorie restriction

- Poor sleep

- Certain diseases such as metabolic syndrome

Might you regain weight after weight loss even when you have decreased considerably? It is possible due to the reason that even when you have lost substantial weight, increased ghrelin levels will make it difficult to retain the weight lost and lead to cycles of weight regain.

What to Do Next?

If these symptoms ring any bells, it is time to see a doctor. Hormonal imbalance can be controlled by:

• Lifestyle modifications (stress management, good sleep).
• Medical treatment in the form of hormone therapy or medicines.
• Nutrition change harmonized with proper hormonal balance.

4 Effective Exercises to Help Manage Hormonal Weight Gain

Strength Training: Focus on weightlifting or bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups to build muscle. Muscle burns more calories, boosting metabolism and reducing fat storage, especially around the midsection.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): Alternate between short bursts of intense activity and rest to burn fat more efficiently and increase metabolism.

Yoga: Poses like Downward Dog and Warrior help reduce stress, balancing cortisol levels, which can aid in weight management and muscle retention.

Cardio: Activities like brisk walking, running, or cycling can improve overall fat loss, supporting hormonal balance and helping reduce weight.

Fat prison in China is a trend people are now encountering on their social media channels, where people from China are making videos on what are they being served as their meals. But how much of a "prison" it really is? The Fat prison in reality is a fat camp, where people are voluntarily signing up, because they have realized that the conventional weight loss regime do not necessarily work well. More often than not, gym memberships are abandoned, and diets are not followed through.

What Happens In These 'Fat Prison'?

These "fat prisons" camps follow a military style boot camps that promise rapid weight loss through strict diets. Here, people who sign up are constantly put under surveillance and the structure is designed to ensure participants do not leave or sneak in food.

Also Read: 5 Exercises To Age Better, Know What They Are

Since 2000, the number of obese children in China has quadrupled. Official figures suggest that more than half of China's adults are now overweight. The situation is no longer a body image issue, but a public health crisis.

“Getting back on track to meet the global targets for curbing obesity will take the work of governments and communities, supported by evidence-based policies from WHO and national public health agencies. Importantly, it requires the cooperation of the private sector, which must be accountable for the health impacts of their products," said WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

How Does China's Fat Prison Work?

These fat prisons or camps resemble military boot camps more than health clubs. Here, the days start early, with a roll call and weigh-ins. Here, phones are not allowed to the individuals, rooms are shared, and surveillance is constant.

Over the course of 28 days, individuals are expected to take up to 72 classes in total. These include HIIT or high intensity interval training, spinning, boxing, and endurance cardio. Professional trainers also monitor individuals' form, pace, and attendance. They also follow up on their progress.

Read: Fact Check: Does Japan Have A Fat Law?

There are fixed timings for meals, and the portions are decided by staff. What may surprise many is that the food here is not liquid shakes, as many people popularly think weight loss diets consists. Menus usually feature traditional Chinese meals which are prepared with less oil and sugar. Second helpings are allowed, but snacking outside the meal is strictly forbidden.

Participants are also weighed twice daily. This is done once in the morning and again in the evening. Progress is also tracked publicly, which creates a pressure to achieve the weight goal.

A Lived Experience In China's Fat Prison

A 28-year-old creator living in China, Eggeats documented her month-long stay in China's fat prison. She claimed that she paid roughly around $1,500 for the entire programme. This includes accommodation, food, and training.

In contrast to Western cities, the sum would not even cover a few weeks of boutique fitness classes. Thus in many ways, this is more practical and affordable.

Eggeats' videos show high concrete walls, iron gates and electric fences that surround the camp. Security guards are also stationed at the entrance, which is why she called this place a "Fat Prison".

However, her experience bore fruit. From 7.40pm onwards, participants are given free time and Sundays are rest days here. Toilets there are built in traditional way, where one needs to squat while using it.

For Eggeats, in the first week herself, she said she lost 2.25 kilograms, and a total of 4 kilograms by the end of second week. While the program may be strict, she still recommended the experience for anyone seeking a transition.

Obesity In China

More than half of China’s adult population is now overweight or obese, a proportion projected to rise to nearly two-thirds by 2030—affecting close to 900 million people. Acknowledging the scale of the crisis, National Health Commission Director Lei Haichao announced a nationwide three-year “Year of Weight Management” campaign on March 9, 2025, during the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, marking a move from individual responsibility to government-led, systemic action.

As you age, you start to lose your balance, however, there are certain exercises you can do to ensure that you gain strength, stabilize your joints along with maintain muscles. These exercises will help you improve your balance, reduce risks of arthritis, type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline, and could prevent early death too.

Here are 5 exercises that will help you age better and stay fitter.

Push Ups

Ensure that your hand placements is wider than shoulder width apart on the floor, with your fingers pointing forward. Start in a plank position with your body in a straight line from head to heels. Now, engage your core and glutes to hold this position.

Also Read: Inside China’s ‘Fat Prison’: Can Extreme Measures Curb Obesity?

Keep your elbows at about a 45-degree angle from your body, do not flare our too wide. As you lower your body, keep your body in a straight line. Your chest should come close to the ground or touch it.

Bend your elbows to lower your body, and press through your hands to straighten your arms to return to your starting position.

Pull Ups

Start with a pull-up bar, grab it with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Use an overhand grip pr an underhand grip. Hand from the bar with your arms fully extended and your legs straight. Engage your core to avoid swinging. Aim to keep your body still throughout the movement.

Make sure your shoulders are down and away from your ears. Engage your back muscles and pull your elbows down and back as you life yourself.

Pull yourself up till your chin is above the bar. Keep your body as straight as possible. Lower yourself in a controlled manner until your arms are fully extended again.

Also Read: After Indore Water Contamination, 5 More Indian States Report Similar Cases

Dead lift

Stand with your feet about hip width apart, with your toes pointing forward. Make sure your weight is evenly spread between your heel, the outside edge of your foot, and your big toe. Hinge at your hips with a slight bend in your knees. Keep your back flat and chest up. You can also use a double overhand grip or a mixed grip on the bar.

Ensure you back is flat and chest up, avoid rounding your lower back, as it can cause injury. Drive your hips forward as you lift, and keep your back straight. Your hips and shoulders should rise together. Keep the weight close to your body.

Push through your heels and engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift the weight. Stand tall with your shoulders back, avoid leaning back.

Squat

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, with toes pointing straight ahead or slightly outward. If you use any weights, keep them in the center.

Keep your back straight and chest up. Engage your core to stay stable. Make sure your knees follow the direction of your toes.

Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower yourself and go as low as you can, while keeping heels on the floor. Push through your heels and extend your hips and knees to stand up.

Calf Raise

Stand with your feet hip width apart. Place one or both hand on a wall, and stand on a stepper, with your heels off the stepper. Push through the balls of your feet and lift your heels off as high as you can. You will feel a stretch in your calves. Come back to the original position of your feet on the stepper, with heels off the stepper and continue doing it. With each rep you can feel your muscles engaging.

Been wondering why your shoulders, knees or elbows hurt more than usual? Experts say it's due to falling temperatures.

Dr Christopher Murawski, an orthopedic surgeon with Duke Health, has revealed that changes in weather can add pressure to the joints and worsen existing pain.

"Whether it's warm weather, whether it's cold weather, whether it's changes in humidity, changes in pressure and things like that, they do experience joint pains, and muscle pains," he told ABC11.

Typically, joints hurt in the cold because low temperatures thicken the lubricating synovial fluid, a viscous, egg-white-like liquid in movable joints (like knees, hips, shoulders) that lubricates cartilage, reduces friction and provides nutrients, in the body. This makes joints stiffer, causing muscles to tighten.

Moreover, to conserve heat during extreme cold, the body also restricts blood flow which causes muscles and tendons around joints to tighten and pull, increasing discomfort. Less blood flow to extremities also means less warmth and oxygen around the joints, contributing to stiffness and aches.

According to Dr Murawski, the air surrounding us exerts about 15 pounds of pressure per square inch on the body. Any changes in barometric pressure can also increase pressure on the joints and amplify pain

"I'd say, while the science isn't perfect, physiologically, it makes some sense. We get some changes in pressure. The muscles can expand. Ligaments can expand -- things like that. And more importantly, it jives with the experiences that patients share with us even anecdotally and the symptoms they experience," he said.

Who Does It Affect The Most?

People with existing conditions like arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis) or past joint injuries feel these effects more acutely.

Those whom have suffered from past injuries, such as ligament strains or cartilage tears, do not exercise frequently and have weak quadriceps and hamstrings may also

become more noticeable to join pain in cold temperatures.

Working from home, sitting with legs crossed or lounging for long periods can also strain the joints as well as drinking less water as dehydration affects cartilage and synovial fluid and increases joint stiffness.

What Can You Do For Relief?

According to Dr Murawski, staying warm, active/mobile and hydrated, even if it is cold outside, is essential to keep the pain manageable. You should visit a doctor if the pain lasts for over three days and occurs several times within a month.

Experts also recommend maintaining weight, focusing on the glutes and hamstrings during exercise and avoiding sitting near cold windows or walking barefoot on cold floors to protect the bones.