It’s nice when people can smell good. But sometimes, you have a smelly odor that doesn’t seem to disappear. You might be asking yourself, “What can cause an odor?” or “Why does my sweat smell?”
There are many problems associated with being overweight, including heart problems, diabetes, and cancer. However, is there any link between being overweight and body odor?
In this article, we are going to discuss how being overweight can cause smelly odors and some effective prevention that you should do if it bothers you too much.
9 Reasons Affect Your Body Odor When Being Overweight
Being overweight and obese can affect the body in many ways. One of the ways that it does is by increasing your body odor. So, what are the reasons and factors that may lead overweight people to experience stinky odor?
Bodyweight
When you are overweight, it can cause apocrine sweat glands to become blocked, increasing smelly sweat. Also, overweight people have fewer bacteria-fighting cells in their armpits that help fight against stinky odor.
As far as the role of weight, overweight women will sweat more because of less aeration in the areas of skin that are creased and have folded. They may sweat more and have a little bit more of an odor as a result. It might be more challenging for some of these women to manage their hygiene, which may have some influence as well.
Bacteria
Body odor is sweat mixed with bacteria and dead skin cells. But, oddly, the same people who have smelly odor might also have more bacteria on their skin. Studies have shown that bacteria can affect body odor. So if you’re overweight and extra bacteria is on your skin, the bacteria can change your sweat chemistry and make it smell worse.
Poor hygiene
Body odor can also be a result of poor hygiene. For example, if a person is overweight or obese and is not cleaning their body well, they might have more odor than people who keep up with their hygiene.
Poor lifestyle
Other reasons being overweight can cause you to have more body odor. This includes the fact that people who are overweight might be inactive. So when they’re not active, they might overheat more quickly. And sweating is a natural part of keeping your body cool and helping it to work correctly. But when you overheat or sweat excessively, with the help of bacteria, your body will have an odor.
Hormonal changes
A few hundred extra pounds can cause hormonal changes like excessive levels of androgens (a male hormone), which may make you sweat more and produce an unpleasant smell.
Hot weather
If you’re overweight, it might be more likely for your body temperature to rise in hot weather. This can cause you to sweat more and have more of an odor.
Metabolic disorders (diabetes, liver disease, dyslipidemia)
Some people might have a condition that is present with being overweight. Conditions like diabetes, liver disease, or kidney disease can cause you to have an odor that smells bad. Being overweight can cause cells to store toxins. If fat cells don’t work correctly, they can accumulate and release their contents into the blood.
So if you think you might have something wrong with your kidneys, liver, or diabetes, talk with a doctor to see what can be done about the stinky odor it’s causing.
Certain types of medicine, such as antidepressants
Many people might be on medication that can cause an odor. This might be from something like an antidepressant. And the reason for this odor is that these medications can change your body chemistry in different ways. So if you are on an antidepressant and your body odor has become worse, do not stop taking the medication without first talking to a doctor about it.
Unhealthy diet
A bad diet is another reason people might have an odor that doesn’t seem to go away. A poor diet means not eating many of the right things and eating too many of the wrong things. For example, if a person is overweight or obese and doesn’t eat right, it can lead to them having all sorts of health problems, many of which can cause a foul odor.
Furthermore, sulfur-like compounds are produced when your body breaks down garlic, onions, and herbs and spices like curry and cumin. These compounds are pretty evident on your breath. They can also react with sweat on your skin to produce body odor.
What You Should Do To Eliminate Body Odor In Overweight People?
So, what can you do to make it better?
It might seem like there’s no cure for someone having a stinky sweat. But there are ways to make the problem better or get rid of the odor you have. And this includes doing some things to help you have better hygiene, diet and exercise habits, and seeing a doctor if needed. Here are some helpful tips:
Being active
The best thing you can do if your stinky sweats are caused by being overweight or obese is to get more active. This will help in many ways and improve your overall health and give you more energy to burn calories during physical activities.
Change your diet
Changing the type of foods that you eat can be helpful to keep you from having a stinky sweat problem. This is because some people might have a problem with the types of food that they eat. For example, some people might have a problem with body odor because they eat foods containing certain types of chemicals or have other ingredients that cause their bodies to produce more sweat than average.
Therefore, stay away from eating foods that contain more spices to make your body smell good. As a result, you could make sure you’re having a healthy and balanced diet where there’s more nutrition and less fat in your diet.
Weight loss
Some people find that they have a stinky sweat problem because they are overweight or obese. And losing weight can help them with this problem of odor. There’s something called apoliporpeptidase that causes an odor in the body when you’re overweight or obese. So, for example, if you’re a person who is overweight, losing about ten pounds might be enough to help reduce the odor in your body if you don’t want to go on any particular diet.
Clean your armpits well
If you’re overweight and sweating more than usual, it might be because of extra bacteria living on your skin. So it would be helpful to clean your armpits well with soap every day if needed. Keep in mind that a type of bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus is present in the skin. And these bacteria can be complicated to kill. So while you’re cleaning your armpits, be sure to use a wipe or washcloth that contains an antiseptic or antifungal to kill off the Staphylococcus aureus living on your skin.
Use an antibacterial soap
Some people might have a problem with their body odor because of things like fatty acids produced in their bodies. If you have a fatty acid problem, it might be helpful to use an antibacterial soap instead of regular soap on your skin. This type of soap contains ingredients that can kill away many types of bacteria.
Washing your face regularly
Washing your face with a cleanser or facial wash is helpful to help remove the bacteria on your skin. It’s also imperative to wash your armpits daily if you’re having a stinky sweat problem because dead skin cells can cause an odor as well as more bacteria on the skin.
Bathing
Some people might have a stinky sweat problem because of not bathing at night. It’s best to bathe at night before going to bed. There are many reasons for this, including that your body temperature is usually lower at night than during the day. When you take a hot shower or bath during the middle of the day, it can cause your body temperature to rise, and then it can cause you to sweat more and smell worse because of it.
Change your clothes frequently
If you’re overweight and having a stinky sweat problem, changing your clothes frequently might help with reducing odor. It is because something called kinesin moves through your body, and it can cause some of the bacteria to move away from your skin. So if you’re overweight, changing your clothes frequently might keep the bacteria away from you.
Chew parsley to neutralize body odor
People who have a good diet and exercise habits might be less likely to have a problem with a stinky sweat. But some people can still have this problem. One thing they can do is chew parsley while they’re having a stinky sweat problem. Parsley contains chemicals that help block the odor-causing chemicals on your skin when you have a stinky sweat.
Wear deodorant or antiperspirants
Some people might find that using deodorant or antiperspirants helps to reduce their odor problem. But while they’re wearing these products, they should still wash their armpits well with soap and water daily, just like they would typically do so.
Foot powders for sweaty feet
Some people might have a problem with their body odor because they wear shoes that fit right. If this is why you’re having a stinky sweat problem, then wearing some foot powders on your feet can help stop the odor.
Soap substitutes that are gentler for your skin
Some people might prefer using soaps that are gentler on their skin and don’t contain harsh chemicals when washing. This might be helpful to reduce the number of chemicals that get on your skin.
See the doctor
If you don’t want to use any of the natural solutions above and they’re not working to help reduce your body odor, then it’s a good idea to see a doctor. For example, some people might have certain medical conditions that cause body odor. And if this is the case, then there are things that a doctor can do for you to help reduce the smell.
FAQs
What Do Your Body’s Odors Say About Your Health?
Your body odor is a significant part of how others perceive you and unhealthy means. For example, if you are unkempt, not careful about hygiene, and just plain lazy, it’s easy to miss the smell because it’s so faint.
But your friends and family members might notice that you have a slightly sweet smell on your breath or around your nose, for instance. This might indicate that you have an infection or are carrying a metabolic waste product called ketones.
Most people think they need to change their deodorant, but they might also need to take steps towards healthy living before the smell gets horrible or reflects poorly on them in other ways.
Does your body odor change when pregnant?
Womens’ body odor changes more than men’s does, as the hormones estrogen and progesterone cause a shift in personal chemistry that can lead to an unpleasant smell.
Pregnant women often experience nausea, which creates a smelly body odor. You may also experience a smelly odor due to a fungal infection. For example, fungal infections in the armpits and foot soles can noticeably smell.
People associate a typical body odor with foul or strong smells like sweat, feces, or vomit. However, that overweight has certain bacteria on their skin that thrive under warm conditions and may cause a more pungent than usual body odor. It is due to the bacteria breaking down sweat into acids and other smelly chemical compounds on your skin, which results in that typical sweaty body smell.