Current data from the CDC shows that obesity affects more than 40% of adults twenty years old and above. These numbers are quite alarming, considering the numerous health risks one is exposed to when suffering from this condition. Well, perhaps these high numbers are due to the way the modern world has affected people’s lifestyle, nutrition, and other factors.
If you are the health-cautious kind of person, there’s a big chance you wouldn’t want to grow obese or overweight. If you or someone you love is at risk or already suffers from this disease, it is essential to get enlightenment on how you can prevent it or seek treatment. On this note, let us look at some of the contributing factors of obesity along with various possible solutions.
1. What Is Obesity?
Obesity refers to the state of having excess body fats. The complex disease occurs when a person exceeds the maximum BMI or body mass index. It often stems from the regular consumption of calories so much higher than the body burns during activity. Accumulating over time, the excess is stored as fat in various parts of the body.
As earlier mentioned, obesity can pose a plethora of health risks to the sufferer. Among others, these may range from health disease to diabetes, high blood pressure, and even cancer. For such individuals, bariatric surgery is a common remedy. A highly qualified professional can help ensure that the potential issues or complications from weight loss surgery are minimized. There are various types of weight loss surgery for obese individuals but as we will discover below, these work best when combined with a healthier lifestyle. Let's now shed some light on the causative factors and solutions for obesity.
2. Obesity Contributing Factors
This weight-related disease has various contributing factors. Some of these include the following:
- Physical inactivity - People who are less active or rather sedentary, tend to burn fewer calories than those who are ever active. With time, they end up gaining more weight than normal. This is why people are advised to always exercise to keep their bodies fit.
- Excessive eating- Overeating leads to weight gain. This is even so if the food taken is rich in unhealthy fats. Excess starch in food is stored in the body as fat, which could gradually lead to obesity if taken in high amounts.
- Genetics- At times, obesity is something bound to happen if it's in the gene. If your parents are obese or most people in your family are, then you are likely to be obese. Genetics can affect the hormones responsible for the regulation of body fat, which translates into excessive storage of fats in your body. One of the causes of obesity-related genetics is leptin deficiency. Leptin controls the weight of the body by sending impulses to the brain to eat less when there is excessive fat in the body.
- Psychological factors- Emotional distress in some people influence their eating habits. When bored, sad, angered, or stressed out, these people tend to eat more than normal. Well, it’s not that most obese have emotional disturbances more than people with normal weight, but their ways of coping with the same mainly involve binge eating
- Diseases- Obesity doesn't have to be due to one's eating habits or genes. There is a possibility that they have a condition that is making their bodies react that way. Diseases like hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, and insulin resistance are possible causes of obesity.
Hormones- Women, for example, tend to gain more weight during pregnancy and menopause. Other times the use of contraceptives has the same effect. Today, however, lower-dose estrogen pills can help reduce the risk of weight gain.
3. Solutions to Obesity
While there are a lot of factors that contribute to obesity, the solutions are very few and quite simple. They include:
- Eat appropriate food portion sizes- As earlier stated there is a connection between the amount of food one takes and the weight they have. These eating habits are developed from a young age. It is essential that you feed your kids the right portion sizes right from a young age.
- Eat slowly and only when hungry- Eating too much leads to the excess fat being stored in the body as fat. It’s important to eat only when the body needs it.
- Engage in physical activities- It's good to get out there sweat and have fun. Fun activities like sports, gym, or dancing are essential in burning calories and maintaining the right weight.
- Get enough sleep- Sleeping has been proven to aid in maintaining the right weight. People who get quality sleep tend to have healthier weights.
- Get professional treatment - Treatment approaches may include behavioral therapy, lifestyle changes, and surgery.
Being obese is not anyone’s dream. However, it can occur to anyone over time, especially those who don’t take much caution to their lifestyle and feeding habits. The above are just a few ways obesity can be prevented and treated.
