What Is Obesity?


by Eric Hartwell - Date: 2007-02-18 - Word Count: 528 Share This!

Most people tend to think of obesity as a major disadvantage when it comes to appearances. Beyond that obvious fact, obesity also accounts for numerous health problems, a decrease in productivity, as well as discrimination lawsuits. All told, obesity can be quite a costly weight to bear - no pun intended. In fact, the problem of obesity has in recent years reached epidemic proportions, and much research and aid has been poured in to finding a solution to what is no longer merely an American problem, but a worldwide issue.

No one can deny the fact that a combination of sedentary lifestyle and bad eating habits leads to higher rates of obesity. We are a high fat and low exercise country. This is not going to change anytime soon, so anyone who has to deal with attempts at losing weight also has to contend with a society that simultaneously encourages us to gain weight while informing us that it is unhealthy and unattractive. This contradiction is the source of numerous psychological problems associated with obesity, as well as common eating disorders.

There are also certain drugs that might contribute to rapid weight gain. Steroids tend to increase the amount of fluid in the body, and can thus lead to obesity. Migraine medications are also known to cause people to gain weight. Other medications with weight gain side effects include numerous antidepressants and mood altering drugs.

Children whose parents are obese have a much greater chance of becoming obese themselves. Perhaps this has to do with genetic factors, but more often than not, it has to do with the family's sedentary lifestyle and eating habits. If parents do not take proper care of themselves, then their children can be born obese. Obesity generally starts in childhood and continues in to adulthood. While medical conditions and hormone imbalances are often blamed as causes for obesity, the fact remains that these conditions account for less than one percent of all childhood obesity cases. Nor can the problem be blamed completely on genetics, because oftentimes the problem has more to do with the family's behavior when it comes to eating habits and exercise. Since obesity tends to be a disease that effects all members of the family - not just the child - the parents' lifestyle must change also in order to instill healthy patterns in the child. A positive attitude towards overcoming obesity can lead to success.

Then there is the issue of metabolism. Back in the old days, we used to believe that weight gain and loss was equal to the number of calories ingested and burned, respectively. We now know that the case is not so simple. Researchers have recently come up with a theory that they call "the set point theory." In laymen's terms, the idea is that there is a "set point" in the brain that can make people resist either the gaining or loss of weight. If you exceed your brain's set point by drastically cutting the number of calories you consume, your brain's response might be to slow down your body's activities and lower your metabolism. As a result of this process, any weight you might have lost is eventually gained back.


Related Tags: obesity, diet, dieting, lose weight, overweight, fat, child obesity, teen obesity, teenager obesity

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