There are many factors which cause a person to become excessively overweight or obese. Following are a description of some of these: |
 Genetics. Obesity does tend to run in families. However, it seems to be a social makeup of the family as well as genes which determins the liklehood of obesity. For example, family members tend to share the same eating and lifestyle habits. Lifestyle habits are a much stronger link to obesity than family history. AND, even if one has the tendency to be obese, it doesn't mean everyone has the same fate. It doesn't have to be that way!
Behavior shapes obesity much more than genetics.
In other words, if members of your family are obese, it doesn't mean you are destined to be the same way. |
Obesity is defined as having an excess of body fat. Generally speaking, if a person weighs 20% more than they should for their height and body build they are medically obese.
Obesity is a serious medical condition which has emotional as well as physical consequences. However, healthy eating and physical activity are key to losing excess body fat. Everyone has the key to health!
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Lack of physical activity. Most Americans do not get enough physical activity. Since weight control is a balancing act of calories in (what a person eats) to calories out (what the body burns during every day life and physical activity), most people eat more calories than they burn during the day. As a society, Americans excessively underestimate the amount of calories they eat each day. While at the same time, they overestimate the amount of physical activity they get, which reduces the amount of calories burned each day. |
Health hazards of being overweight:
- Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Heart Attack
- Osteoporosis & Osteoarthritis
- Sleep Apnea
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Some Cancers
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Psychology factors. This is where feelings and emotions come in. Many people eat in response to what they are feeling, (boredom, anger, sadness, envy, etc.) resulting in emotional eating. |
If the obesity epidemic continues to rise, our children will be the first generation in the history of mankind to have a shorter life span than their parents. |
Binge eating. This is eating out of control. Binge eating results in consuming vast amounts of food. Those who have a binge eating problem often suffer from depression and lack of self esteem. |
Begin to incorporate physical activity in your day. Start out slowly, after all, you aren't going to be walking to the top of the Empire State Building. First, just walk the length of your yard. Next day walk 1/2 of your block. Next day walk around your block. Take baby steps, you will be so surprised how fast you see improvement! |
Illness. Certain illness may lead to weight gain (problems with the thyroid gland, for example). Steroids and some antidepressants can also interfere with a healthy body weight. Painkillers slow down the entire metabolic system (that's part of the healing process). See if you can manage your pain without excessive painkillers. |
| Control. Feeling out of control with environment and the world around them can cause a person to "give up" and eat out of control. |
Seek out support. If you find those people in your inner circle do not seem to be supportive, you don't have to cast them aside. Instead, reach out a little. Seek out those people who can give you the support you need, and pull them into your circle. |
| Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive eating. These diseases require medical and psychological intervention. |
| Fear of failure. Many, many times people avoid starting to correct lifestyle problems because they fear they will fail. "Since I am just going to fail, why start?" |
Learn all you can about your eating patterns, and what triggers you to overeat. Then, take steps to deal with the triggers in a way other than overeating. |
