The causes of obesity are as varied as the people it affects.
Obesity results when we regularly consume more calories than our bodies burn for their normal daily functioning, as the body then store the excess calories (energy) as body fat and over time our weight increases. If we consume less calories, then our body weight decreases as the body then burns the excess body fat for energy.
This can be deceptively simple though, as it doesn’t account for a multitude of factors that affect what we eat, and our modern-day lifestyles like how much we exercise and how our bodies process all these calories. So, a slightly more complex web surrounds this basic problem of obesity.
Some of these factors are listed below.
Our genetic structure
Our genes play a role in possible obesity, although to a much lesser extent than many people believe. Rather than being the sole cause often blamed, genes increase the risk of weight gain, but they interact with a myriad of other factors such as our unhealthy diets and inactive lifestyles. Healthier lifestyles and a balanced diet can counteract these genetic effects.
Prenatal and Postnatal
Early development is an important factor, as pregnant mothers who smoke or are overweight themselves, will have children more at risk to becoming obese later in life. Excessive weight during infancy also raises one’s risk of becoming obese. Being breastfed can also reduce one’s risk of obesity.
Television, lack of activity and improper sleep
Television with all its exposure to food and beverage advertising is a strong obesity risk, as it influences what people chose to eat and drink. Physical activity can protect against weight gain, but generally we just aren’t doing enough of it due to the lack of a safe environments in which to do it. Lack of or improper sleep, being a hallmark of the modern Western lifestyle, is also emerging as a greater risk factor to weight gain and obesity.
Diets
What has become the Western type lifestyle diet plays a huge factor. Frequent, unhealthy, large meals high in refined grains, huge portions of red meat, unhealthy fats and sugary beverages plays one of the largest roles in obesity. The Western diets also lack whole grains, vegetables, fruits and nuts that seem to help with weight control and helps prevent chronic diseases. These effects can easily be overcome by following a balanced diet.
Toxic environments – Food and Physical activity
As important as choices are when it comes to health, no one person lives in a vacuum. So, our physical and social environments in which we live, play a huge role in the food and activity choices we make, and unfortunately these have become very toxic.
The lack of areas in which to exercise safely, the incessant and unavoidable marketing of unhealthy foods and sugary drinks, the junk foods sold at school, at work and at the corner store, add all these up and it becomes tough for individuals to make choices that are so fundamental to a healthy lifestyle and weight management.
Obesity and its many causes, have become so ingrained in our daily lives, to successfully untangle them will take a multifaceted approach, that not only gives individuals the skills to make healthier choices, but also sets in place the policies and infrastructure to support those choices.
Risk of obesity in children
Obesity in children is a fast-emerging health issue, which further increases the risk of type-2 diabetes and coronary heart problems later on in their lives. Understandably, takeaways or convenience meals are a time saver as we have 100s of other chores to get through in a day, but this time saving will have a toll on our children’s long-term health.
Children who never consumed takeaway meals were compared to those who had them one or more times a week in a study. The results that were published in Archives of Disease in Childhood in 2018. The study found that those who consumed takeouts had a greater calorie and saturated fat intake, as well as a lower protein and micronutrient intake. The takeaway group also had higher total and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels and fat mass index.
The study concluded that children consuming takeaways regularly, are more likely to become obese and an have elevated risks of coronary heart disease in the long run due to the increased body fat and lower quality diets.
Munchies4U does not provide professional dietary advice. If you or someone you care for has special dietary requirements, medical needs or an eating disorder, please seek advice from a registered healthcare professional.
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