What are the causes of obesity?

Many people think if they see an obese person, they became that way from overeating or being lazy. What they don't know is that aside from the fact of poor nutrition and lack of physical activity, many other health issues can also cause a person to be obese. I thought I should start my research by finding out what are the actual causes of obesity. What factors play into becoming overweight or obese and why? I found two sources from The National Heart, Lung and Blood institute and The Mayo Clinic, with what I thought had very informative and credible information.

Source #1

My first source came from The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute website. Although this article was published 4 years ago, July 13, 2012, it weighed in on many health factors that are still present and becoming more common today. The first cause listed was having a "lack of energy balance". This means that the energy you're taking in is from food and drink. The energy you're "putting out is the energy your body uses to breathe, digest and for physical activity". If you take in more energy than you're putting out, you will become overweight or obese because you aren't burning enough of the calories you're taking in. In order to maintain a healthy weight, you need to put out the same amount of energy you are bringing in. The next cause I found was having an "inactive lifestyle". Americans are becoming less physically active. "Relying on vehicles for transportation rather than walking, spending too much time in front of the TV or computer, having a job where physical activity is minimal, or the lack of physical education in schools are all examples of inactive lifestyles people develop". Inactive people are more likely to gain weight because they are consuming more calories than they burn in a day. Environment is another factor in obesity. If people are living in apartments, places away from parks or in general, somewhere where it is hard to find a place to participate in physical activities, they are less likely to be active. Not everyone can afford a gym membership or healthier foods, causing them to make poorer choices. Food ads also contribute to obesity targeting children with high calorie snacks. One cause that surprised me was obesity linked to genes. Although I was aware that genes have a lot to do with the health and makeup of a person, I didn't know genes can affect "the amount of fat the body stores". A child comes from an obese family is more likely to become obese themselves especially if they follow their parents unhealthy eating habits, or if it is in their genetic makeup. The next cause I found was due to health conditions. Under active thyroids, crushing syndrome (a condition when the body produces too much hormone cortisol) and poly cystic ovarian syndrome all affect the body's weight. They can slow down metabolism making it harder to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Medications such as antidepressants and seizure medications can also slow metabolism and can cause an increase in appetite. Emotional factors and smoking cause weight gain as well, overtime. Some people tend to overeat when feeling angry, sad or bored. When people stop smoking, food tends to taste better so they eat more. This article leaves readers with a message of not all obese people are unhealthy eaters. It brings light to other serious health conditions that don't allow a person to burn calories as fast as someone who is free of health ailments. I see this article as very credible because not only does it have several causes of obesity, it goes into detail and explains the "how?".

After reading this article, I found that there are several causes to obesity but they all mostly come down to not burning the same or more calories that the body is taking in. Some factors are in control by the person, like physical activity or healthy choices, but others such as medical conditions, medications and even genes which cannot be controlled. The causes that can't be controlled can be fixed by more activity and lower calorie, smaller proportioned meals or experimenting with different medications if applicable.

   

Source #2

My second source was an article from The Mayo clinic staff. This article provided me with similar information but was more condensed and very brief. The main focus was obesity being caused by inactivity and unhealthy diet, stating that people are eating more calories than they burn, and are taking in very high calorie foods from fast food places. This article was short and straight to the point.

This article is credible, but i don't believe it provided readers with enough information. There was nothing about health issues, medications or even genes. Although this article didn't provide me with the same contributions as the first source, it will help me with the body image part of my blog and the question of "why do people blame obesity on diet and exercise only?".

Both sources provided me with the same information of health, eating habits and calorie intake and output, but raises several questions for me. Why do people solely blame obesity on poor diet and inactivity? Why did The Mayo Clinic focus only on one cause of obesity; bad eating and exercise habits? How do obese people that have medical conditions, causing them to be overweight, feel about themselves being seen as unhealthy and lazy? Can a person stop obesity from continuing on to future generations if they choose a healthier lifestyle even though genes affect things such as body fat storage? Do Obese parents feel responsible for their children becoming overweight?

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