Why Do Fat People Smell Bad? - Ways To Prevent It

Have you noticed that fat people have a bad smell when compared to healthy people? As well, we are aware that body odor is what our body smells when sweat from the body combines with the bacteria in the skin. Sweating is a natural process done to regulate our body temperature when our body heat rises. However, this sweat is not solely responsible for the odor it makes, bacteria are the prime reason for the body’s smell.

Body odor varies from person to person. Fat people are more like to have a foul smell. But before we go right into the concerned topic, let us explore the reason for experiencing body odor. Many studies have concluded many factors influence the smell of body odor. In this article, you will discover each factor and how it contributes to the odor of the body, also how fat people can smell better. We have covered all the essential aspects of the topic.

What Causes Body Odor?

Body odor appears when sweat from the body comes in contact with the bacteria residing in the skin. Sweat consists of salts, water, and fat. When it mixes with water it can cause odor, but the scent of the odor is determined by the factors such as the food we eat, hormones, and any underlying health condition. Any of these factors can be commonly found in an obese person, and the occurrence of bad smells is not limited to them. Fat people can have foul body smell for many other reasons which we will be discussing later. So, the reason for having body odor is sweat. Every time you sweat an unpleasant body odor is produced. The factors that could make you sweat are:

Fat People Could Smell Bad — ISTOCK IMAGES

Exercise– when exercising your body is subjected to moving its muscles, as the heat generates, the temperature of the body rises the body sweats to help the internal temperature at optimal condition by producing a cooling effect.
Stress– when stress levels start rising in the body, it begins to feel sweat building in different parts of the body. This is due to the sweat glands being activated by nerves which are sensitive to hormones and emotions.
Hot weather– when our body is subjected to hot weather, the rising temperature in the hypothalamus of your brain signals the sweat glands to distribute fluids all over the body to counter the temperature rise in the body. Thus, this fluid turns into a sweat by cooling down the body
Overweight– bigger people are more like to generate more heat because of their greater body mass. When the body heat increases, the body requires more perspiration to cool it down.
Hormones– hormones that are responsible for rising body temperature are progesterone and estrogen. These hormones cause an imbalance in the body making unpleasant changes in the body that makes the temperature rise.

Why Does The Body Odor Of Fat People Smell Bad?

As told earlier, the smell of body odor varies from person to person. The smell of body odor highly depends upon some factors. As human beings, we find foul body odor extremely unpleasant and we tend to avoid the smell. When considering obese or overweight people, they tend to create a stinky odor when compared to others. This does not mean that only overweight individuals have a foul body smell. Overweight people have more chances of generating bad body smell due to more factors depending on it. whereas an average person can easily prevent the cause of bad body odor by eliminating or changing their lifestyle. However, some of the factors that make the body smell bad for both fat people and averagely-built people are given below:

An underlying health condition– people with medical conditions are more likely to consume medications. Some of these medications can lead to excessive sweating (drug-induced hyperhidrosis) causing bad body odor. As well some of the conditions like diabetes, thyroid, and kidney health complications can make you produce a bad smell due to lack of concentration in the sweat combined with bacteria.
Food supplements– foods that are rich in sulfur such as onions, garlic, cabbage, broccoli, and several others. These rich-sulfur-containing foods can smell like rotten eggs when it is digested in the body. This sulfur is secreted in the form of gas via burps or the form of sweat and urine. When it is in the form of sweat it with the bacteria and creates an unpleasant smell. Some other dietary products that could trigger a foul body smell are alcohol, caffeine, sugary foods, and spicy foods.
Skin folds– this factor is usually found in overweight individuals. Fat people have more skin folds, thus it creates more space for sweat and bacteria to get trapped in between skin folds. When the sweat gets trapped in one place the more intense its smell becomes and leads to an extremely foul smell.
The gas build-up is another reason for overweight to have bad smells more often. The mass index of the body allows it to store more hydrogen and methane in their body. These build-up gases are either released through burps, gas, and farts. whatever way it comes out it makes a nasty smell but when it gets mixed with bacteria while secreting out in the form of sweat. The body can have an intensely foul smell.
Digestive bacteria– an unhealthy lifestyle such as a poor diet, can cause to give life to microbes in digestive and immune health. These microbes can come along with sweat and blend with bacteria to originate a foul smell in the body.

How To Prevent Foul Body Smell Of Fat People?

From the above points, we have understood that body odor causes due to many factors. Thus, to prevent body odor, one must need to understand why it is caused. If it is an underlying cause then bad body odor can be prevented by treating the underlying health condition. If it is about something you eat, then you can simply prevent it by avoiding it. However, some of the basic ways to prevent bad body odor are given below:

Morning showers- cleaning your body every day with anti-bacterial soap or showering gel can help you prevent a nasty smell in your body. Regularly clean your armpits, and groin area and focus on areas where it sweats most. In this way, you can eliminate some of the bacteria in your skin and prevent foul smell in the body
Keep your body dry- bacteria used to stick in moist areas and spread over them. After showers, you should always clean the wet areas with a towel. The more moisture your skin becomes the more bacteria reside in your body.
Shaving body hair- trimming or shaving off the hairs in the armpits and groin area will help you to eliminate bacteria. As most of the bacteria lie in the hair than the skin. Thus sweat will evaporate quickly in the skin in the absence of hair. As well easier to dry the armpits and groin areas after showering.
Wash your clothes regularly- washing clothes regularly can help to kill the bacteria residing in the clothes. The more we wear the same dresses the more time the bacteria get to spend time in our skin. This will cause a foul smell as well as infections
Using Antiperspirants- these are designed to prevent sweating in the body. They contain aluminum chloride. This chemical compound creates a gel-like plug that blocks sweat from reaching the surface of the skin.
Avoiding sulfur-rich foods- avoiding foods that cause a more horrible smell while sweating can prevent the nasty smell by a significant amount. Foods like garlic, onions, alcohol and other smelly foods can make your sweat smell unpleasant. Avoid spicy foods to prevent higher chances of sweating.
Medications and other medical procedures.- a lot of antibiotics are significantly effective in eliminating bacteria from the skin. Injections like Botox can block sweating temporarily. Prescription medicines are also available at the healthcare counters to assist your body to cool down and prevent sweating. Surgical methods are also available and requires to prevent signals reaching from sweat glands. In addition, there are hand-held devices that destroy sweat glands under the arms. The field of medical science has improved in a drastic way.

Some Natural Methods

Apart from all these methods, foul body odors can be easily prevented by using natural methods. However, the outcome of natural methods may not be instant. Thus, natural methods are practiced for a longer duration to prevent body odor. The natural methods to prevent body smell are

Baking soda– Make a paste of baking soda and water. Then apply the paste in the armpits and balance the acid in the skin to reduce odors
Green tea– putting soaked green tea bags in the armpits for several minutes a day can help to block the pores and reduce sweating
Apple cider vinegar– a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water, sprayed on the armpits and sweaty areas can help to kill the bacteria and reduce body odor
Lemon juice– spraying the mixture of lemon juice and water in the armpits will help to kill the bacteria in the armpits. The acid in lemon juice plays a vital role in killing bacteria.

Conclusion

It is clear the bacteria in the skin cause the body to create nasty smells. It is entirely normal for the body to possess a natural smell but these extremely foul smells are due to unhygienic conditions. Some of its causes are harder to be addressed. But it should not be left unresolved, as this foul body odor affects you in many ways such as restricting yourself from gatherings. You might miss lots of opportunities if it’s unresolved.

In the case of fat people, it is more frequent for them to smell bad. Thus, they should consult a doctor to find a possible solution. As modern medical science has technologically improved in dealing with all kinds of health complications. Eliminating these bacteria will help you from infections and generate a more hygienic environment.