Obesity and its Causes

OBESITY: In today's life each and every individual is suffering from obesity. It becomes the health problem. This problem is not only in India but in the other parts/ countries of the world also e.g in United States of America, one out of three adults and one out of five children and teenagers are facing this problem of obesity. Same is the condition in India also. In most of the countries since childhood people fall prey to this disease (obesity), "Obesity is that condition of the body in which the amount of fat increases at extreme level." In other words we can say that "obesity is that condition when an individual weights 20% or more than the ideal weight. We can also say the obesity is that in which the normal weight of the individual's body increases in abnormal ways. In obesity the body weight of the individual is more than its height that means the weight is not according to one's height."

According to DR. MARTIN, G GOLDNER, "the worst enemy of health today is surplus fats." A child having weight around 30 pounds or more is considered an obese. Due to obesity, it has been observed that an obese person usually suffers from diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, arthritis, osteoarthritis, flat foot, respiratory problems, varicose veins and liver malfunctioning etc. The method to know the obesity is BMI (Body Mass Index) 

Body Mass Index: Calculate your Body Mass Index by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters, offering insight into your body's composition and health.

And if the BMI is upto 25 then the person is supposed to be healthy. If it is upto 30 then person is over weight but if BMI is above 30 then person is definitely obese.

CAUSES OF OBESITY: There are so many factors which are responsible for obesity such as heredity, age, eating habits, sedentary life style.

1. HEREDITY: Heredity is an important factor in obesity e.g. if the parents are obese, there are chances of obesity in their children also. Research studies also show that in a family if one of the member from parents is obese then the chances of their wards becoming obese are 60% and if both (parents) are obese then the chances of obesity rise upto 90% in the children, which is due to the genetic make up.

2. AGE FACTOR: From the research it is shown that as the age of the individual increases,

mostly after 25 years, the body weight also increases 1/2kg annually. This is because basal metabolic rate starts declining after the age of 25 years due to which the weight of the body increases and the individual starts becoming obese.

3. EATING HABITS: Eating habits play an important role in making a person obese e.g.

(a) EXCESS EATING: We see that there are some individuals who are in the habit of taking excess quantity of food due to which they get more calories than their requirement. The excess calories which are taken are burnt by hard work or physical exercises or physical work. If this is not done then the individual starts becoming obese.

(b) FREQUENTLY EATING: Frequently eating also increases the supply of calories. The individuals who have this type of habit start becoming obese in the later stage.

(c) FOOD WITH RICH CARBOHYDRATES: Taking of excess carbohydrates in the shape of rice, sweets, toffee, chocolates, potatoes and other sweet food products also causes obesity. Because the amount of carbohydrates which is taken in the above mentioned items is excess than the requirement of our body due to which the weight of the body increases and the person starts becoming obese. 

(d) EATING WHILE READING OR WATCHING T.V: Now a days the individuals indulge in a bad habit of taking the meals while reading or watching T.V which is a bad habit from the health point of view. While at the time of taking meals they have the concentration on watching T. V or reading  newspaper/magazine. In this situation they take more amount of food which increases the intake of calories. The intake of extra calories is deposited in the shape of fats in the body and the individual starts becoming obese.

(6)FATTY FOOD STUFFS: Taking of excessive fatty food stuffs in the meals is a bad habit. The fast food and junk foods like pizza, burger, pastry, chocolates, noodles and cold drinks are full of fats which increase the intake of calories and the weight of the body is increased.