Obesity, Why me?

1/4/20233 min read

Obesity

Obesity is a complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity isn't just a cosmetic concern any more. It was not classed as a disease for a long time but in recent years obesity has received classification as a disease by the WHO. It is a medical problem that increases your risk of other diseases and health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers. Usually, obesity results from a combination of inherited factors, combined with the environment and personal diet and exercise choices.

The good news is that even modest weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity. Dietary changes increased physical activity and behaviour changes can help you lose weight. Prescription medications and weight-loss procedures are additional options for treating obesity. If you want to know what options we have for weight loss, please fill out a contact us form on our website and we'll be happy to give you details.

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Predisposing / Risk factors

Obesity usually results from a combination of causes and contributing factors:

Family inheritance and influences

The genes you inherit from your parents may affect the amount of body fat you store, and where that fat is distributed. Genetics may also play a role in how efficiently your body converts food into energy, how your body regulates your appetite and how your body burns calories during exercise. That's not just because of the genes they share. Family members also tend to share similar eating and activity habits.

Some lifestyle choices can affect your weight. These are:

Diet. A diet that's high in calories, lacking in fruits and vegetables, full of fast food, and laden with high-calorie beverages and oversized portions contributes to weight gain.

Liquid calories. People can drink many calories without feeling full, calories from alcohol is a typical example. Other high-calorie beverages, such as sugared soft drinks, can contribute to significant weight gain.

Inactivity or sedentary lifestyle. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, you can easily take in more calories every day than you burn through exercise and routine daily activities. Looking at computer, tablet and phone screens is a sedentary activity. The number of hours you spend in front of a screen is highly associated with weight gain.

Diseases and medications.

Obesity can be traced to a medical cause, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing syndrome and other conditions in some people. Medical problems that lead to decreased activity, which may result in weight gain.

Some medications can lead to weight gain if you don't compensate through diet or activity. The following medication classes are examples: antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medications, antipsychotic medications, steroids and beta blockers.

Social and economic issues

Social and economic factors are linked to obesity. Avoiding obesity is difficult if you don't have safe areas in which to walk or exercise. Similarly, you may not have been taught healthy ways of cooking, or you may not have access to healthier foods. In addition, the people you spend time with may influence your weight — you're more likely to develop obesity if you have friends or relatives with obesity.

Age

Obesity can occur at any age, even in young children. But as you age, hormonal changes and a less active lifestyle increase your risk of obesity. In addition, the amount of muscle in your body tends to decrease with age. Generally, lower muscle mass leads to a decrease in metabolism. These changes also reduce calorie needs and can make it harder to keep off excess weight. If you don't consciously control what you eat and become more physically active as you age, you'll likely gain weight.

Other factors

Pregnancy. Weight gain is common during pregnancy. Some women find this weight difficult to lose after the baby is born. This weight gain may contribute to the development of obesity in women.

Smoking cessation. Quitting smoking is often associated with weight gain. And for some, it can lead to enough weight gain to qualify as obesity. In the long run, however, quitting smoking is still a greater benefit to your health than is continuing to smoke.

Lack of sleep. Not getting enough sleep or getting too much sleep can cause changes in hormones that increase your appetite.

Stress. Many external factors that affect your mood and well-being may contribute to obesity.

Microbiome. Your gut bacteria are affected by what you eat and may contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight.

Previous attempts to lose weight. Previous attempts of weight loss followed by rapid weight regain may contribute to further weight gain. This phenomenon, sometimes called yo-yo dieting, can slow your metabolism.

Having one or more of these risk factors doesn't mean that you're destined to develop obesity. You can counteract most risk factors through lifestyle changes in diet, physical activity and exercise, and behaviour. If after trying by yourself you are unable to reduce the weight stop the weight gain, you may need to speak with a weight loss service provider. I order to successfully address a weight problem, you need a multifaceted approach. Let us know if you feel you need help in this area. Thank you for your time today.

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