Sunday, February 5, 2012

Causes of Obesity

January 9, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

Obesity is caused by unhealthy eating combined with sustained lack of activity. If food gives you more calories than you burn, your body turns on the storage program and puts on fat. This is the basic idea behind obesity.

Disorderly eating habits are the top reason why people become obese. With neither the time, nor the inclination to control one’s meals, it’s no wonder people get fat all over the world. Couple that with a sedentary lifestyle where most trips are taken by car and you got a health situation out of control.

genesWhat are the common causes of obesity?

Genes and Heredity – Obesity tends to run in families, implying genetic factors. The search for an "obesity gene" is complicated, however, by the fact that families also tend to share eating and lifestyle habits, making it difficult to separate genetics per se from behavior. Studies have been designed to determine how significantly genes and family lifestyles affect obesity.

Recent studies acknowledge a condition known as metabolic syndrome that has the potential for defining a cause of obesity. The premise of the metabolic syndrome, according to researcher Richard P. Lifton, is that clusters of illnesses like high cholesterol and high blood pressure may be directly related to gene mutations in the mitochondria or energy center of the cell. It is yet to be determined if weight gain triggers metabolic syndrome or if metabolic syndrome triggers weight gain.

junkfoodJunk food – We are all busy, but this does not mean that we have to eat everything fast food restaurants put before you. Burgers may look good, but they are fat too highly powered got your health. Thing is, a single burger is worth a whole meal, but your body does not judge the situation this way. Your stomach will never be filled by a regular burger, so it will keep asking for more, despite the fact that your body does not need more burgers.

Don’t give up!

Many people try diets and manage to lose a few pounds. But returning to the old lifestyle and eating habits almost always means that weight lost turns into weight regained. Moreover, as diet follows diet, the body gets used to these “lean times” and makes it harder for you to lose weight.

To all this you may add that following a diet for a longer period of time is hard, because you will always crave the forbidden foods. The fact that certain delicious foods are forbidden makes them that much more attractive. A successful diet means adjusting your lifestyle to your needs, especially by making time for more exercising.

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