What Causes Obesity?

18 Jun 2014

Causes of obesity. Obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little. If you consume high amounts of energy from your diet, particularly from fat and sugars, but do not burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, much of the surplus energy is then stored by the body as fat. Calories.

The energy value of food is measured in units called calories. The average physically active man needs about 2,500 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight, and the average physically active woman needs about 1,500 – 2,000 a day. 

For example, eating a large take away fast food like hamburger, fries and soft drink can total 1,500 calories, and that is just one meal. Another problem is that many people are not physically active, so lots of the calories they consume end up being accumulated in the  body as fat.

Malaysia's Obesity Rate Highest in Asia

Malaysia has been rated as the highest among Asian countries for obesity. According to the findings from British medical journal, The Lancet, showed that 49% of women and 44% of men in this country were found to be obese.      

The risk factors that contribute to obesity can be complex combination of genetics, metabolic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. Some  endocrine disorders, diseases and medications can also cause weight to increase. 

Common Factors Influencing Obesity

Genetics:  Studies have shown that you can  inherit a tendency toward obesity. Your chance of being overweight increases 25 percent if one or both of your parents is obese.

Lack of Physical Activity:  Many people have jobs that involve sitting at a desk for most of the day.  Lack of physical activity is another important factor related to obesity. Most of them also more rely on theirs cars rather than walking, taking the stairs or cycling.  The more people relax the more they tend to watch television, surfing internet, play games and rarely take regular exercise or start doing physical activity.

Metabolic: How you expend energy differs from how someone else will. Metabolic and hormonal factors are not the same for everyone but these factors play a role in determining weight gain.

Lifestyle: Poor diet and overeating in combination with a sedentary lifestyle contributes to obesity. Unhealthy eating habits from parents when you are young and continue into adulthood. Changing your behavior can affect these lifestyle choices. The best way is avoid drinking too many sugary drinks, fast food, eating large amount and so on. 

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