Causes:
Obesity is caused by an unbalance between the consumption and expenditure of calories. Too much energy (food) is taken in without sufficient output of energy (activity).
High-calorie and fatty foods provide our bodies with stored food energy as well as protection for our vital organs. This was important in the hunting/gathering era, when humans would remain without food for days. Some theories link our "love" of high-calorie foods to a survival tactic from those times. This may explain why a bag of potato chips generally leads to more cravings than sliced vegetables. In modern society, most of us eat several times a day and "storing" all that energy has become not only unnecessary, but destructive.
Obesity is not simply overeating. Obese people may have a very low metabolic rate, food sensitivities, or metabolic and endocrine imbalances, including hypothyroidism and hypopituitarism. Diabetes is also linked to obesity.
Studies show that heredity is also a factor. Although only 7% of children born to normal-weight parents grow up to be obese, 40% of children will become obese if only one parent is overweight; and that figure jumps to 80% if both parents are overweight. These figures, although seemingly alarming, do not unveil the whole story. Children often mimic their parents and pick up on environmental and social factors, including the eating and exercise habits learned at home. Those habits often continue as children grow into adults.
It is true that many hormonal disorders accompany obesity and some people tend to gain more weight than others, despite following the same diet and exercise regime. However, the overwhelming majority of obese people do not suffer from those disorders. In most cases, obesity is caused by poor diet and eating habits, accompanied by a lack of exercise.
In today's fast paced society, we tend to have a dependence on convenience and junk foods, which supply many calories but little nutritional value. Studies show that North Americans have so little time to prepare healthy meals that over 25% are now eating in their cars. We find little time in our busy schedules to exercise, yet our jobs are becoming less physically demanding. A vicious cycle is created: being less active makes us more tired, giving us even less motivation to exercise. Our children are less active too. They are spending more time watching television, playing video games, and surfing the Internet. The days of rushing to the street to play stickball have long past...
