Obesity Information

Obesity is a serious medical condition that is associated with various life threatening conditions. Discussed below are some of the leading factors that cause obesity in people.

Genetics – Studies have shown that 48% of children with overweight parents grow up to become overweight adults. Further, body areas where people carry weight such as around the middle or on the hips are also strongly influenced by genetics. Thus, predisposition to obesity can be inherited.

Popularity of junk food – A large number of people are hooked to high-calorie junk food diet. Low-cost, easy availability, high popularity and good taste makes one easily temped to continue with a junk food diet. Hence, you should keep a check on how much junk food you are consuming if you want to keep your weight in check.

Sedentary lifestyles – In this technologically advanced age, there is little need for physical activity. Most people are engaged in professions where they have to do little or no physical activity. Further, at home also most work is done through machines operated by remote control. Hence, physical activity has been reduced to a minimal level. The end result is that people are consuming a lot more than is required but are not doing anything do burn those calories and are therefore becoming overweight or obese.

Larger portion sizes – This is a prominent factor contributing to obesity. Studies have shown that people today are consuming larger portion sizes of meals than they used to consume a few decades back. High consumption of food in conjunction with lack of physical activity is causing obesity in people.

Negative emotions – It has been observed that people tend to eat a lot more than required when they undergo negative emotions like boredom, sadness or anger. Women who suffer from depression and low self-esteem often tend to indulge in uncontrolled binge eating and therefore turn obese.

Diseases and drugs – The effect of certain diseases and drugs may also contribute to obesity. Illnesses such as Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism, depression and polycystic ovary syndrome are known to cause obesity in patients.

Lack of physical exercise – People are extremely busy these days to take time out for regular physical exercise. This is a leading factor that is contributing to obesity in adults as well as children. Today, children are spending more time in front of the TV than playing outdoor games and hence childhood obesity is growing at an alarming proportion.

Studies have shown that obesity may cause baldness in people. A direct correlation can be noticed in the fact that the number of obese people and men suffering from baldness is rising by the day. Obesity may cause various chronic conditions such as to diabetes, heart disease and numerous types of cancers – all of which have been associated with hair loss. Further, studies show that a high fat diet contributes to an increase in the level of DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a type of testosterone which is known to shrink hair follicles and cause hair loss. Studies conducted in Japan, showed that a number of people with thinning hair and baldness have increased several folds since the popularity of western foods like hamburgers and fries have increased.