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From
MayoClinic.com
Being obese and being overweight are
not exactly the same thing.
Obesity is more than a cosmetic
concern. Being overweight puts you at greater risk of developing such
serious health risks as high blood pressure,
diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, stroke and cancer.
With a positive attitude, you can lose
weight. Yet, before pursuing any plan to take off excess weight, consult
your doctor. Crash diets and other quick fixes can be dangerous to your
health.
Causes
Weight is largely determined by how you balance your intake of calories
from food with the energy you use in everyday activities. If you consume
more calories than you use, you gain weight. Your body stores calories
that you don't need for energy as fat.
Overeating and lack of physical activity are the main causes of obesity,
especially in combination. But many factors contribute to obesity.
Risk factors
Factors that increase your risk of carrying more weight than is healthy
include:
-
Diet.
Regular consumption of high-calorie foods, such as fast foods,
contributes to weight gain. High-fat foods are dense in calories.
Loading up on soft drinks, candy and desserts also promotes weight
gain. Foods and beverages like these are high in sugar and calories.
-
Inactivity.
Sedentary people are more likely to gain weight because they don't
burn calories through physical activities.
-
Psychological
factors.
Some people overeat to cope with problems or deal with difficult
emotions.
-
Genetics.
If one or both of your parents are obese, your chances of being
overweight increase by 25 percent to 30 percent. Your genes may
affect the amount of body fat you store and where that fat is
distributed. But, your genetic makeup doesn't guarantee that you'll
be obese.
-
Sex.
Men have more muscle than women do, and because muscle burns a
greater number of calories than fat burns, men expend up to 20
percent more calories than women do even at rest. So for women,
achieving a healthy weight may be a tougher challenge.
-
Age.
As you get older, the amount of muscle in your body tends to
decrease, and fat accounts for a greater percentage of your weight.
This lower muscle mass leads to a decrease in metabolism. Your
metabolism also slows naturally with age. In addition, people tend
to be less active as they age. Together, these changes reduce
calorie needs. If you don't decrease your caloric intake as you age,
you'll likely gain weight.
-
Cigarette
smoking.
Smokers tend to gain weight after quitting. A 6- to 8-pound weight
gain isn't uncommon. This weight gain may be partially due to
nicotine's ability to raise the rate at which your body burns
calories (metabolic rate). When smokers stop, they burn fewer
calories. Smoking also affects taste. Former smokers often gain
weight because they eat more after they quit. Their food tastes and
smells better.
-
Pregnancy.
After each pregnancy, a woman's weight increases an average of 4 to
6 pounds over her pre-pregnancy weight. This weight gain may
contribute to the development of obesity in women.
-
Medications.
Corticosteroids and tricyclic antidepressants, in particular, can
lead to weight gain.
-
Medical
problems.
Less than 2 percent of all cases of obesity can be traced to a
medical cause, such as low thyroid function, excess production of
hormones by the adrenal glands (Cushing's syndrome) or other
hormonal imbalances. A low metabolic rate is rarely a cause of
obesity. A medical problem can also lead to decreased activity,
which can result in weight gain.
Related Sites:
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