Causes of Obesity

What is obesity

Obesity is a complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity isn’t just a cosmetic concern. It’s a medical problem that increases the risk of other diseases and health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

Overeating

In most people obesity is caused by eating too much and moving too little. Overeating leads to weight gain, especially if the diet is high in fat.

The energy value of food is measured in units called kilojoules. To maintain a healthy weight it is important to balance how many kilojoules you take in (from food and drink) with how many kilojoules you burn off.

A diet high in simple carbohydrates

Carbohydrates increase blood glucose levels, which in turn stimulate insulin release by the pancreas. Insulin promotes the growth of fat tissue and can cause weight gain.

Physical inactivity

If a person eats fewer calories than he or she metabolizes, he or she will lose weight. However, if you do not exercise regularly, you are bound to burn fewer calories than someone who is physically active.

If you are not active enough, you do not use the energy provided by the food you eat, and the extra kilojoules are stored as fat instead.

Existing medical conditions

For some people, a medical condition can cause you to gain weight. These conditions can make it nearly impossible to lose weight through exercise and nutrition alone.

They include:

Hypothyroidism
Insulin resistance
Polycystic ovary syndrome

On the other hand, some medicines used to control asthma, epilepsy, diabetes and depression can also cause weight gain.

Genetics

You are more likely to develop obesity if one or both of your parents are obese. Genetics also affect hormones involved in fat regulation. For example, one genetic cause of obesity is leptin deficiency. Leptin is a hormone produced in fat cells and in the placenta.

Leptin controls weight by signaling the brain to eat less when body fat stores are too high. If, for some reason, the body cannot produce enough leptin or leptin cannot signal the brain to eat less, this control is lost, and obesity occurs.

The Effects of Obesity

Being overweight puts you at risk of numerous health problems including:

High blood pressure
Diabetes
Coronary heart disease
Certain cancers
Bone and joint disorders

It is important to maintain a healthy weight to reduce your likelihood of developing one of these chronic diseases. Losing weight is not only healthy for your body but also your mind. When you look better, you feel better about yourself. This can give you more confidence to do things you never thought you could.

HOW TO CONTROL WEIGHT AND PREVENTION OF OBESITY

This are some of the remedies that individuals have adapted to prevent obesity and being overweight.

Decrease dietary fat consumption
Skip meals
Decrease fizzy drinks or replace them with low sugar drinks
Avoid sugary foods and processed high-fat meat products
Increase low energy foods (such as fruits and vegetables)
Choose natural foods if possible, but if buying manufactured or packaged foods, buy those low in energy density
Eat off small plates; avoid large portions
Join a gym
Walk more and indulge in activities.