Causes of Obesity - Know about Major Causes

03.28.2008 by Dr John Anne in Obesity

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Obesity is a widely spread physical disorder. The root causes of obesity are lack of exercise and bad food habits. Fatty and fast foods are considered as main trigger causes to obesity.

Depression and stress are leading causes of obesity and eating disorders. Indeed, obesity can be traced to behavioral or psychological difficulties. Contrary to popular myth, this does not indicate weakness or lack of will power. A mental disorder is as much a disease as any physical problem, and requires professional treatment.

For most people, obesity results from eating too much and not being active enough. The overwhelming factors responsible for obesity are environmental. Modern Western society encourages poor diets and lack of exercise. For example, portion sizes continue to increase. Americans were eating about 200 more calories per day in 2003 than they were in 1993. Fast-food restaurants encourage customers to “super size” and purchase “value” meals. Many target children, using well-known movie stars and cartoon characters in their advertising.

Genetic make up plays a large part when it comes to obesity and the cause of it. If you family members before hand have struggled to control their weight then you will ultimately suffer the same fate. It takes a lot of time and hard work to prevent it but following a proper diet plan means diet for obesity with exercise is a great way to prevent obesity falling upon you. So yes, the cause of obesity does sometimes boil down to your DNA.

Metabolism – Some of us have a higher metabolic rate that breaks down food, while others have a much slower metabolic rate and cannot eat much. When a person with a slow metabolic rate eats too much, they gain weight. As we age, our metabolism slows down, and if we do not change our eating habits, obesity may be the result.

Psychological factors also can lead to weight gain. Eating food for social or emotional reasons can well contribute to weight gain. Sometimes depression and sadness or in some instances life altering experiences also leads to obsession. Weight loss surgeons often refer such persons to psychotherapist. A psychotherapist makes a person to alter thinking about life the way individual thinks at present and this helps in weight management along with the other surgical or non surgical techniques.

In women, two important life events may be associated with an increase in body fat, pregnancy and menopause. Weight gain in excess of 10kg during pregnancy is more likely to remain postpartum. Whilst middle-aged women are at greater risk, it is not known if this is related to menopause or merely age related, although distribution patterns are affected (increases are to visceral adipose tissues).

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