Obesity Causes
There are a number of obesity causes, but they all boil down to one thing: a person gains weight when they do not burn off all of the calories they eat. A person becomes obese when this weight gain goes unchecked for a period of time. The trick is, there are many reasons why someone eats more than their body uses.
Obesity Causes #1 - Age
With age comes a slower metabolism, and this can cause weight gain, especially for people who could always eat whatever they wanted and never gained weight. Another thing to consider when thinking about the age factor is how a person's age may affect their level of physical activity.
Obesity Causes #2 - Environment
A person's environment affects how they behave, so if poor eating habits are the norm in a family, household or among a group of friends, the risk for obesity may be higher.
Obesity Causes #3 - Exercise (or lack of it)
As was stated above, obesity is caused when the intake of calories exceeds the output. That means that there is not enough physical activity going on to burn off all of the calories that are being consumed. Americans live a sedentary lifestyle, and this has made a big contribution to the high incidence of obesity in this country. Luckily, there are two simple solutions to this problem: eat less and exercise more.
Obesity Causes #4 - Gender
Women generally have a slower metabolic rate than men, so they are frequently more overweight than men. Also, the metabolism slows after menopause, causing many post- menopausal women to put on a few pounds.
Obesity Causes #5 - Genetics
Studies have shown that obesity genes do run in the family, but this does not mean that an obese parent will automatically have an obese child. It does mean, however, that the odds are higher. Regardless of the genes, it is possible for anyone to lose weight permanently and healthily.
Obesity Causes #6 - Illness
There are a few physical illnesses that can cause obesity, although it is rare. These include hormone problems like hypothyroidism, depression and some rare brain diseases. Some medications, like antidepressants and steroids, can cause extreme weight gain as well.
Obesity Causes #7 - Psychology
Psychological reasons are probably the most prevalent reasons why people overeat and become obese. Emotional eating is very common, and many people do it without even realizing it. And thus the pounds sneak up. The term "emotional eating" refers to the habit of eating when you are not hungry. Some people eat when they're bored, some when they are mad and, of course, who doesn't want to indulge in a pint of ice cream when they get depressed. Problem is, if this becomes a habit it can eventually lead to weight problems and obesity.
As you can see, there are many obesity can have many causes. Luckily, they can all be overcome with hard work and determination. So no matter what the cause, obesity is, in fact, quite curable.