Causes of obesity
Problem 1: Diagnosing Causes For Sudden Rise in Obesity Levels
Any explanation of the root causes of the current
obesity epidemic must account for its sudden appearance. Six million American
adults are now morbidly obese (BMI 40+), almost twice as high as 1980 severe
obesity rates, while another 9.6 million have a BMI of 35-40. The percentage of
overweight children 6-11 has nearly doubled since the early 1980's. (Source: US
Census 2000; NHANES III data estimates). Thus genetic causes are unlikely to be
significant. Because while a predisposition to obesity can be inherited, the
fact that obesity has increased so much in the last few decades appears to
discount genetics as a major main cause. Also, the fact that each succeeding
generation is heavier than the last indicates that changes in our environment
are playing the key role.
Problem 2: Separating Genetic Causes From Environmental Causes
Obesity tends to run in families, suggesting a genetic
link. Yet families also share common dietary, physical exercise, attitude and
lifestyle habits that may also contribute to obesity. Separating these from
purely genetic factors is not an easy statistical or diagnostic task.
Environmental Causes of Obesity
In view of the sudden rise in weight levels - which is
a worldwide trend as reflected in the new word "globesity" -
environmental factors must be the prime cause of modern obesity.
Overconsumption - A Possible Root Cause
Eating too many calories for our enery needs must be a
major candidate for the main cause of the modern obesity epidemic. According to
Dr. Marion Nestle, Professor and Chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food
Studies at New York University, US agribusiness now produces 3,800 calories of
food a day for every American, 500 calories more than 30 years ago — but at
much lower per-calorie costs. Increases in consumption of calorie-dense foods,
as evidenced by the growth of fast-food chains and higher soft drink
consumption, also point to a higher energy-intake.
NOTE: For an explanation of how surplus calories -
from dietary fat, protein or carbohydrate - are stored as body fat, please see:
Body Fat/Adipose Tissue - Why We
Gain Fat
Eating Too Many High-Fat or Refined Sugary Foods
The type of food eaten may also play an important role
in the rise of obesity. Researchers continue to discover more metabolic and
digestive disorders resulting from overconsumption of trans-fats and refined
white flour carbohydrates, combined with low fiber intake. These eating
patterns are known to interfere with food and energy metabolism in the body,
and cause excessive fat storage. Associated health disorders include insulin
resistance, type 2 diabetes as well as obesity. Incidence of these
"modern" diseases is increasing worldwide.
Reduced Energy Expenditure - A Possible Root Cause
People who eat more calories need to burn more
calories, otherwise their calorie surplus is stored as fat. For example, if we
eat 100 more food calories a day than we burn, we gain about 1 pound in a month. That’s
about 10 pounds
in a year. Over two decades this energy surplus causes a weight gain of 200 pounds!
Assessing the contribution of lack of exercise to
obesity is hampered by lack of research. According to existing surveys, only 20
percent of the population are frequent exercisers. In addition, only a small
minority of children (1 in
5) regularly participate in after-school sports or extra-curricular physical
activity. Since 1990, among adults there has been a per capita decline of 15
percent in frequent exercise activity (100+ days per year in any one activity).
Among teenagers and adolescents aged 12-17, the plunge is 41 percent.
However, data on correlation between BMI and exercise
frequency is almost non-existent, so we are unable to say exactly what effect
lack of exercise has on obesity. What we do know is that severe clinical
obesity leads to serious mobility problems caused by respiratory and
musculoskeletal disorders. Thus the fitness capacity of obese individuals,
especially those suffering from morbid obesity, is typically diminished.
Family Influence - A Major Contributory Cause to Obesity
Parental behavioral patterns concerning shopping,
cooking, eating and exercise, have an important influence on a child's energy
balance and ultimately their weight. Thus family diet and lifestyle are
important contributory causes to modern child obesity, especially at a time of
rising affluence. Since obese children and adolescents frequently grow up to
become obese adults, it's clear that family influence also extends to adult
obesity.
Genetic Causes of Modern Obesity
Genes affect a number of weight-related processes in
the body, such as metabolic rate, blood glucose metabolism, fat-storage,
hormones, to name but a few. Also, some studies of adopted children indicate
that adopted children tend to develop weight problems similar to their
biological, rather than adoptive, parents. In addition, infants born to
overweight mothers have been found to be less active and to gain more weight by
the age of three months when compared with infants of normal weight mothers,
suggesting a possible inborn drive to conserve energy. Research has also shown
that normal-weight children of obese parents may have a lower metabolic rate
than normal-weight children of non-obese parents, which can lead to weight
problems in adulthood. All of this suggests that a predisposition to obesity
can be inherited.
However, the fact that obesity has increased so much
in the last few decades appears to discount genetics as the main cause.
According to Stephen O'Rahilly, professor of clinical biochemistry and medicine
at Cambridge University, the influence of genetics on
modern levels of obesity is insignificant:
"Nothing genetic explains the rise in obesity. We
can't change our genes over 30 years."
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CAUSES FOR OBESITY (I)
The causes for OBESITY to date have not been totally understood.
However, it is a known fact that there are endless factors which cause this
serious disease, some which appear to be very simple and others very
complicated.
To mention the most important causes, there are the following:
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METABOLIC
Some people handle the use of calories better in order to keep up
the body temperature and to carry out the metabolic processes.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Recent discoveries have transformed the theory that psychological
causes can increase obesity and now consider the psychological changes in
obesity as the consequence, not as the cause.
SOCIOCULTURAL
Indubitably all our surroundings greatly influence obesity. All
social environment gathers around food and drink.
Food itself has become a "prize" to the behavior.
Food has become the "ideal closure" to a successful
business transaction.
All religions have a background of the type of food that should be
consumed (fasting, kosher, liquids with a full moon, etc).
And so could we continue with several examples.
SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE
Sedentary lifestyle is one of the principal causes for obesity.
And it has been proven that physical activity is one of the greatest
factors of the use of body energy.
The increase in physical activity allows the intake of more
calories and achieves a more favorable caloric balance of the body to avoid
obesity.
NEUROENDOCRINES
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MEDICAMENTAL
Tricyclic anti depressives have shown an increase in fat and an
important weight gain, thus presenting an obesity condition.
Long corticoid treatments have shown an increase in fat and in
weight also presenting obesity.
HIGH CALORIC NUTRITION
Intake of more calories than our bodies require definitely cause
the caloric balance to accumulate and for every 7,500 calories that our body
accumulates the weight gain is 1
KG which leads to obesity.
MULTIPLE FACTORS
It has been proven that in the majority of obesity cases we will
find an origin of many factors which lead us to a more complicated treatment
than one would believe.
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