Warning Signs of an Obesity Epidemic



Posted: Friday, June 15, 2007

by Bill Healey

Are you or someone you love overweight? If so, you may want to start thinking of your health and ways to change your lifestyle. Nearly two-thirds of all Americans are overweight and childhood obesity is at an all time high. We’re becoming fatter and fatter by the day. It’s a problem reaching epidemic proportions.

Obesity is not just a cosmetic concern. The way you look in a bathing suit this summer shouldn’t be the only reason for you change your lifestyle and lose weight. Being seriously overweight puts you at greater risk of developing high blood pressure, a heart attack, stroke and many other serious health risks. Unfortunately, obesity can even be life-threatening.

A person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight. It occurs when a person consumes more calories than they can burn. For many people this is basically a problem of eating too much and exercising too little. However, there are other risk factors which play a role that you should be aware of.

  1. Age – When you get older, your body's ability to metabolize food slows down and doesn’t require as many calories to maintain your weight. This is the reason that you can eat the same and do the same activities as you did when you were a teenager yet 35 years later, gain weight.
  2. Gender - Women have a tendency to be more overweight than men. This is because men have a higher resting metabolic rate than women, so men require more calories to maintain their body weight. Additionally, when women become postmenopausal, their metabolic rate decreases even more.
  3. Genetics – Obesity tends to run in families with a predisposition for it. If your biological mother is heavy as an adult, there is approximately a 75% chance that you will be heavy. If your biological mother is thin, there is also a 75% chance that you will be skinny. Nevertheless, people who feel that their genes have doomed them to a life of obesity should take heart. Many people genetically inclined to obesity do not automatically become obese. They are able to lose weight and keep it off easily.
  4. Environmental factors - Although genes are an important factor, your environment plays an even more important role. These environmental factors include lifestyle behaviors such as what a person eats and how active he or she is.
  5. Physical activity - Active individuals require more calories than less active ones to maintain their weight. Physical activity tends to suppress your appetite while increasing the body's ability to metabolize fat as an energy source. Much of the nation’s increase in obesity is thought to have resulted from the decreased level of daily physical activity.
  6. Psychological factors - Psychological factors influence eating habits. That is easy to understand. People often eat in response to negative emotions such as boredom, sadness, or anger.
  7. Illness - Although not as common as these other factors, there are some illnesses which can cause obesity. Some of these include hormone problems such as hypothyroidism (poorly acting thyroid slows metabolism), depression and some diseases of the brain that lead to overeating.
  8. Medication - Certain drugs, such as steroids and some antidepressants, may cause excessive weight gain.
One of the most painful aspects of obesity is the emotional suffering it causes. We place a great emphasis on physical appearance, often equating attractiveness with slimness. We wrongly stereotype obese people as gluttonous, lazy, or both. Obese people often face prejudice or discrimination at work, at school, while looking for a job, and in social situations. Feelings of rejection, shame, or depression are common.

You should call your doctor if you are having emotional problems related to your weight or need help losing weight. Your doctor can help you determine whether you need to lose weight and, if so, how much. They can provide you with advice on what is safe and most effective for you.

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