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People can become obese for many different reasons. Lets look at some of the most common ones:
Despite billions of dollars being spent on public awareness campaigns that attempt to encourage
people to eat healthily, the majority of us continue to overeat. In 1980 14% of the adult population of
the USA was obese; by 2000 the figure reached 31% (The Obesity Society).
In the USA, the consumption of calories increased from 1,542 per day for women in 1971 to 1,877 per
day in 2004. The figures for men were 2,450 in 1971 and 2,618 in 2004. Most people would expect
this increase in calories to consist of fat - not so! Most of the increased food consumption has
consisted of carbohydrates (sugars). Increased consumption of sweetened drinks has contributed
significantly to the raised carbohydrate intake of most young American adults over the last three
decades. The consumption of fast-foods has tripled over the same period.
Various other factors are also said to have contributed to America's increased calorie and
carbohydrate intake:
In 1984 the Reagan administration freed up advertising on sweets and fast foods for children -
regulations had previously set limits.
Agricultural policies in most of the developed world have led to much cheaper foods.
The US Farm Bill meant that the source of processed foods came from subsidized wheat, corn and
rice. Corn, wheat and rice became much cheaper than fruit and vegetables.
Some decades ago shopping consisted of walking down the road to the high street where one could
find the grocers, bakers, banks, etc. As large out-of-town supermarkets and shopping malls started to
appear, people moved from using their feet to driving their cars to get their provisions. In some
countries, such as the USA, dependence on the car has become so strong that many people will
drive even if their destination is only half-a-mile away.
The less you move around the fewer calories you burn. However, this is not only a question of
calories. Physical activity has an effect on how your hormones work, and hormones have an effect on
how your body deals with food. Several studies have shown that physical activity has a beneficial
effect on your insulin levels - keeping them stable. Unstable insulin levels are closely associated with
weight gain.
Children who have a television in their bedroom are much more likely to be obese or overweight than kids who
do not, researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA, reported
in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (December 2012 issue).
If you would like to know your daily calorie intake for your weight and height, take a look at our
article how many calories should I eat a day?
Fructose is mainly metabolized in the liver, the target organ of the metabolic alterations caused by the
consumption of this sugar. In this study, rats receiving fructose-containing beverages presented a pathology
similar to metabolic syndrome, which in the short term causes lipid accumulation (hypertriglyceridemia) and
fatty liver, and eventually leads to hypertension, resistance to insulin, diabetes and obesity.
Poorly balanced diets and the lack of physical exercise are key factors in the increase of obesity and other
metabolic diseases in modern societies. In epidemiological studies in humans, the effect of the intake of
fructose-sweetened beverages also seems to be more intense in women. (From - "New Data On Fructose-
Sweetened Beverages And Hepatic Metabolism").
Although there appears to be a consensus on the negative effects of fructose-sweetened beverages there is still
some debate over the effects of fructose versus high fructose corn syrup -
7) Is obesity self-perpetuating?
The longer a person is overweight, the harder it becomes for them to lose weight. Many have wondered whether
obesity itself becomes a permanent state, i.e. does obesity promote obesity?. Researchers from the University of
Michigan and the National Council of Science and Technology (COINCET) in Argentina, reported in
the Journal of Clinical Investigation that in animal experiments, obesity seems to become a self-perpetuating
state.
They found that the “normal” body weight of mice that become obese starts going up; their bodies’ perception
of normal weight becomes a heavier than before, regardless of whether they are made to go on diets which had
made them lose weight.
Senior author, Malcolm J. Low, M.D., Ph.D., said "Our model demonstrates that obesity is in part a self-
perpetuating disorder and the results further emphasize the importance of early intervention in childhood to try
to prevent the condition whose effects can last a lifetime. Our new animal model will be used in pinpointing the
reasons why most adults find it exceedingly difficult to maintain meaningful weight loss from dieting and
exercise alone."
In addition to this study, research published in the journal Nature Communications in 2015 suggests that weight
loss is harder when we carry more fat. The scientists suggest that the more fat we carry, the more our bodies appear
to produce a protein that blocks our ability to burn fat.
8) Obesity gene
A faulty gene, called FTO, makes 1 in every 6 people overeat, a team of scientists from University College
London reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (July 2013 issue).
Lead researcher, Racher Batterham, explained that people who carry the FTO gene variant tend to eat too much,
prefer high-energy, fatty foods, and are usually obese. They also appear to take much longer to reach satiety
(feeling of being full).