All You Need To Know About Obesity

“Overweight and Obesity” are defined as an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. They have important consequences for morbidity, disability and quality of life and entail higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, several common forms of cancer, osteoarthritis and other health problems and are serious public health challenges in the WHO European Region.
Overweight and obesity are often measured using the BMI (Body Mass Index) scale. BMI:

Key facts:
 Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980.
 In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.
 35% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese.
 65% of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
 More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011.
 Obesity is preventable.
WHY YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT.
Obesity or Overweight can be caused by a myriad of factors which could range from genetic, physical, health, emotional and environmental factors.
1. An Inactive or sedentary Lifestyle
It is well known that sedentary lifestyle coexist with overweight as well as other diseases. A lot of people are often physically inactive because they spend hours in front of TVs and computers doing work, schoolwork, and leisure activities (such people are called couch potatoes) In fact, statistics show that more than 2 hours a day of regular TV viewing time has been linked to overweight and obesity.
Other reasons for not being active include: relying on cars instead of walking, fewer physical demands at work or at home because of modern technology and conveniences, and lack of physical education classes in schools.
People who are inactive are more likely to gain weight because they don’t burn the calories that they take in from food and drinks. An inactive lifestyle also raises your risk for coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, colon cancer, and other preventable health problems.
2. Environment
Our environment these days does not support weight loss but rather encourage it. This could be due to:
• Lack of recreational facilities, sidewalks and other places that enable people to be physically active.
• Packed work schedules. People who spend over 4 hours sitting down at work are more likely to be overweight than more ambulatory people.
• Overeating. A lot of people mostly Americans are exposed to excess food portions in restaurants, fast food places, movie theatres, supermarkets, and even at home. Eating large portions overloads you with unwanted calories which build up over time and cause weight gain if not balanced with adequate physical activity.
• Junk foods, carbonated and fizzy drinks all cause a lot of unwanted calorie build up and can predispose the individual to weight gain.

3. Genes and Family History
Children adopt the habits of their parents. A child who has overweight parents who eat high-calorie foods and are inactive will likely become overweight too. However, if the family adopts healthy food and physical activity habits, the child’s chance of being overweight or obese is reduced.

4. Health Conditions
Conditions like Hypothyrodism, Cushing’s syndrome and Polycystic Ovarian syndrome all lead to fat redistribution round the body
5. Medicines
Certain medicines may cause you to gain weight. These medicines include some corticosteroids, antidepressants, and seizure medicines.
These medicines can slow the rate at which your body burns calories, increase your appetite, or cause your body to hold on to extra water. All of these factors can lead to weight gain.
6. Emotional Factors
Some people tend to eat more than usual when they’re bored, angry or stressed. Over time, overeating will lead to weight gain and may cause overweight or obesity.
7. Smoking
Research has shown that some people gain weight when they stop smoking. One reason is that food often tastes and smells better after quitting smoking.
Another reason is because nicotine raises the rate at which your body burns calories, so you burn fewer calories when you stop smoking. However, smoking is a serious health risk, and quitting is more important than possible weight gain.
8. Age
As you get older, you tend to lose muscle, especially if you’re less active. Muscle loss can slow down the rate at which your body burns calories. If you don’t reduce your calorie intake as you get older, you may gain weight.
9. Pregnancy
During pregnancy, women gain weight to support their babies’ growth and development. After giving birth, some women find it hard to lose the weight. This may lead to overweight or obesity, especially after a few pregnancies.

10. Lack of Sleep
Research shows that lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity. For example, one study of teenagers showed that with each hour of sleep lost, the odds of becoming obese went up. Lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity in other age groups as well.
People who sleep fewer hours also seem to prefer eating foods that are higher in calories and carbohydrates, which can lead to overeating, weight gain, and obesity.
Factors Contributing to Excess Caloric Intake
Increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (Duffey & Popkin, 2007; Nielsen et al., 2002)
Increased snacking (Duffey & Popkin, 2011; Jahns et al., 2001; Zizza et al., 2001)
Larger portion sizes (Piernas & Popkin, 2011; Young & Nestle, 2002; Young & Nestle, 2003)
Higher calorie-density of foods (Kant & Graubard, 2006)
More meals consumed or purchased away from home (Kant & Graubard, 2004)
More exposure to advertising that encourages food consumption and promotes unhealthy foods (French et al., 2001; Powell et al., 2011)
Value-sizing of less nutritious foods (e.g., value meals at fast food outlets) (French et al., 2001; French, 2005)
Factors Contributing to Inadequate Amounts of Physical Activity
Labor-saving technological advances (e.g., computers) (Sallis & Glanz, 2009)
Increased media use (e.g., television, video games) (French et al., 2001)
Automobile-oriented communities and reliance on motorized transportation (Sallis & Glanz, 2009)
Limited access to safe, convenient recreation facilities or walking areas (French et al., 2001)
Limited opportunities for activity during the workday (French et al., 2001)
Limited time for daily physical education and recess in schools (Lee et al., 2007)