Causes of Obesity
Obesity is a condition in which there is too much fat in a person’s body. Such a condition leads to many health complications such as hypertension, diabetes and various heart diseases. Along with these are social uncertainties. Anyone who is obese would know more about the manifold problem that they face. You see, no matter how much you advocate “fat is beautiful”, too much fat is always an unwelcome part of a person’s physique.
Obesity is not a new-age problem. It has existed for more than 20,000 years. It is also a worldwide problem and has been the focus of several health studies. From these studies, the causes of obesity have been identified.
The most obvious cause of obesity is overeating. Many people describe it as eating until the stomach feels uncomfortably full. But there are some cases in which overeating occurs even when a person does not feel the fullness of the stomach. This happens when a person consumes energy-dense foods such as those found in fast food chains.
Another cause of obesity is the lack of exercise. The calories that people consume are supposed to be burned by the metabolism of the body. Some people who eat a lot of food do not suffer obesity simply because they have a fast metabolism. While some people who eat as little as possible still gain weight simply because their metabolism is slow. To increase metabolism, one must exercise.
Sometimes, metabolism becomes faulty. It may instruct the body produces too much lipoprotein lipase, the enzyme that tells fat cells to store fat. Or it may not recognize the nerve impulses that tell the body to break down the stored fat.
Another cause of obesity is the existence of psychological and emotional problems. Many people resort to eating food to cope with emotional distress. Some eat food even though they are not hungry. Eating for them is psychologically linked to feelings of being worthy.
An environment that has plenty of food is also a cause of obesity. Many people gain weight during holidays and festivals when food is abundant. And living in a place where food is easily accessible makes a person more prone to consume more than his body needs.
And last, but not the least, genetics. The inherited genes from your parents predispose a person towards obesity. If one’s parents or relatives are obese or just overweight, this should serve as a warning that a person should watch the food he eats.
No matter what the specific cause or causes of one’s obesity, one should not believe that there is no hope to solve this condition. Identification of the cause is just the first step.