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What You Need To Know
When you’re obese, everything is harder. Simple physical activities are exhausting. Certain social situations are awkward. Self-esteem plummets. But that’s only the beginning. A multitude of health problems are directly caused by obesity. These include diabetes, heart failure, stroke and hypertension, just to name a few. These obesity-related illnesses, also known as co-morbidities, can be severely reduced or completely eliminated by simply losing weight.
In this section, you’ll learn more about the national epidemic of obesity, health risks associated with obesity, and causes of obesity.
Obesity Statistics
Struggling with obesity? You are not alone. Take a look at these statistics from a 2007 study conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC):
● 145 millions Americans age 20 and older are classified as overweight or obese
● Of these, 74.1 million are obese
● From 2001-2004, 34 percent of American women were classified as obese. This is a significant rise from 1960-62, when just 15.7 percent of women were obese.
● From 2001-2004, 30.2 percent of all American men were classified as obese. From 1960-162, that number was 10.7 percent.
Health Risks Associated with Obesity
Each year, an estimated 300,000 premature deaths nationwide are caused by obesity-related illnesses. Though getting down to your ideal body weight should always be your ultimate goal, every pound counts when it comes to your health. Studies show that even losing just 10 percent of your body weight can have significant impact on your overall health.
Below we’ve outlined some of the medical conditions (co-morbidities) caused by obesity:
● Stroke
● Diabetes
● Coronary heart disease
● Cancer
● Cardiovascular disease
● Hypertension
● Sleep apnea
● Asthma
● Respiratory disease
● Depression
● High cholesterol
● Gallstones
● Osteoarthritis
● Urinary incontinence
● Infertility
● Gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD)
● Degenerative Joint Disease
Causes of Obesity
Most people think that the main cause of obesity is too much food and too little exercise. While that’s a major factor, it’s not the only one. There are many other causes of obesity that you may not have thought about. Take a look:
Diet
This one’s pretty simple: eat more calories than you burn, and your body will store that extra energy as fat. Today, Americans are consuming more calories per day than ever. The affordability and availability of high-calorie soft drinks and junk foods are a major contributor to that.
Lack of Exercise
Our society simply isn’t as active as it once was. Much of the manual labor we used to do is now completely automated. Instead of walking somewhere, we drive. Many of us sit behind a desk all day and in front of a TV at night.
Genetics
Some cultures are predisposed to store more body fat than others. Genetics also play a part in where on the body you store most of your fat. Obesity tends to run in families, and it’s not just because of heredity. Families tend to eat the same food and perform the same amount of physical activity, or lack thereof.
Culture
Our culture encourages obesity. Long work hours can be exhausting, leaving a person with little time and/or motivation to exercise. Food portions found at restaurants are often enough for two or even three people. Healthy food is either too hard to find or too costly to afford. Clever advertisements for high-calorie foods are seemingly everywhere we turn.
Medication
Weight gain is a side effect of some prescription medications. These include some seizure medicines, antidepressants, and corticosteroids.
Health Conditions
There are a handful of health conditions that can cause weight gain. They include hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Quitting Smoking
Many people report weight gain when they quit smoking. There are two factors in play here. One is that food tends to taste and smell better after quitting. Another is that nicotine speeds up your body’s metabolism. However, the health risks associated with smoking are far greater than those associated with gaining a few pounds after you quit.
Mental State
Ever heard the term “emotional eater”? Some people overeat when they are bored, depressed, angry or stressed.
Lack of Sleep
Studies show that people who sleep around five hours per night have a higher prevalence of obesity than those who get seven to eight hours of sleep. This is due to a couple of factors. The first is that people who are sleep-deprived tend to eat foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates to help keep their energy level up throughout the day. Hormone levels also play a role. The longer you sleep, the more hormones are released that help you curb your appetite. So get your eight hours whenever possible.
Age
As we age, our metabolism slows down, and we tend to gain weight. In women, menopause can also cause weight gain.
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