What causes obesity?
Obesity is due to the storage of excess adipose tissue. This disease has multiple causes – the video above clearly demonstrates how mutlifactorial the disease is – the diagram above from the Foresight Report for the United Kingdom (http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20170110170031/https://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/causes)
Below are some of the pieces we can change to treat the disease of obesity
Behavior
Behavior, in the case of obesity, relates to food choices, amount of physical activity you get and the moving through roadblocks to maintaining your health. Looking at food choices, many people now select foods that are calorie-rich, but nutrient-poor. This behavioral problem also relates to the increase in portion sizes at home and when dining out. NOW THIS ISN’T to say it is your fault. It is just a portion of what the cause is – keep reading…
Environment
Environment can impact much about our eating. There are endocrine disrupting chemicals that may be impacting our genetics. The environment we live in can shape our habits and out lifestyle (you can see how this interacts with behavior then) There are many environmental influences that can impact your health decisions. Today’s society has developed a more sedentary lifestyle. Our foods have also changed in how they are grown and processed that can have an impact.
Medications There are medications that are called “obesigenic” meaning they add weight to a person. Sometimes something else can be substituted and sometimes it can’t – so consulting with your healthcare provider (like a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or physician) on any of your chronic medications to see if they are contributing is a great idea.
Physiologic The regulation of hunger and fullness may be imbalanced. Newer research is also looking at the gut microbiome and how it is affected by sugar and highly processed food.
Genetics
Science shows that genetics play a role in obesity. Genes can cause certain disorders which result in obesity. However, not all individuals who are predisposed to obesity will become affected by obesity. Research is currently underway to determine which genes contribute most to obesity. But you may notice that others in your family are having the same issues with the disease of obesity. And you may be wondering how you could impact your genetics [and no I don’t mean select new parents 🙂 ]. As we learn more about this we are finding out that perhaps how we move and what we eat could be affecting our genome and how it presents in each one person.
I look forward to hearing form you – please comment
Resources:
- http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20170110170031/https://www.noo.org.uk/NOO_about_obesity/causes
- https://www.obesityaction.org/get-educated/understanding-your-weight-and-health/causes-of-obesity/