Welcome to Obesity Guide
Obesity Causes Health Problems Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
What Is Obesity? It’s Simple and Complex.
from:What is obesity? It is simply “increased body weight due to excessive accumulation of fat.” Even knowing that much can help those who are concerned about the condition. But the subject is far more complex than a quick dictionary definition.
If we want to answer the question, “What is obesity?” we may want to ask first: What is fat, the thing we have too much of? Fat, or adipose tissue in animals, is a form of glycerol and fatty acid in a soft, semisolid state. How much fat a person carries on their body is generally determined by how much of the substance is eaten in the food or how much of the food we eat converts to fat. For example, animals eat carbohydrates and this is easily converted to fat. (Carbohydrates are compounds such as sugars and starches). When this process results in an amount of fat that is beyond what doctors consider average, obesity results.
This may lead us to think that we can answer the question, “What is obesity?” by quoting facts based on food intake. In a way, this is true. The word “obesity” comes from the Latin “obesus,” which generally meant stout, fat or plump. If we go back even further, the Latin word comes from “edere,” which means, “to eat.” This connection between eating, stored energy and fat is at the core of medical studies on obesity. Too much eating, especially of the wrong foods, can lead to obesity.
So now, when someone asks, “What is obesity?” we can answer with complete confidence, right? Not necessarily. Medical experts and nutrition experts who have spent a lifetime studying obesity know that there is even more to the picture than meets the eye.
We may come closer to answering the question, “What is obesity?” by asking what causes obesity. The correct answer to that question is, “A lot of things contribute to obesity.” For many people, being overweight or obese comes down to eating too much and exercising too little. However, these are two factors in a long list of items now recognized as legitimate issues in obesity treatment.
These factors include:
• Age – the body does not use up food energy as quickly when we
grow older
• Gender – women tend to be more overweight than men, who burn
more energy when at rest
• Psychological factors – Some people respond to emotional changes
and stress by eating more
• Medication - Certain drugs, such as steroids and some
antidepressants, may cause excessive weight gain.
• Illness - There are some illnesses that can cause obesity
• Genetics – Obesity tends to run in families
So, when someone asks, “What is obesity?” we can start the conversation with the idea that there are many factors that may help answer this question. It gets a bit more complicated after that.
Obesity Causes Health Problems News
U.S. Obesity Plateau Shows What Works in Weight Battle
Obesity has become a danger far greater than hunger. Yet amid the alarming stories about its harm to America’s health and economy, one bit of information has been drowned out: The percentage of U.S. adults who are obese appears to have plateaued.
Read more...As Obesity Epidemic Soars, Scientists and Researchers Explore Connections to Other Diseases
New interdisciplinary conference brings together leading researchers and stakeholders to discuss the latest in obesity, cancer, diabetes and related metabolic disorders
Read more...Doctors' Due Diligence: Measuring Kids' Blood Pressure
With the rising incidence of obesity comes a rising incidence of the health-related problems it causes. Pediatricians report seeing high blood pressure, heart disease and even certain cancers — diseases previously considered problems among adults only — in children as young as 3.
Read more...Global Health Priorities Should Shift to Preventing Risky Behaviors in Adolescence
As childhood and adolescent deaths from infectious diseases have declined worldwide, policymakers are shifting attention to preventing deaths from noncommunicable causes, such as drug and alcohol use, mental health problems, obesity, traffic crashes, violence and unsafe sex practices.
Read more...A Mathematical Challenge to Obesity
Carson Chow has used mathematical models to determine the causes of obesity, and ways to stem the epidemic.
Read more...Why The U.S. May Go Broke Over The Obesity Crisis
The obesity epidemic is still going strong. Obesity-related health problems may cost us an extra $550 billion over the next 20 years.
Read more...New paper provides examples of cost-effective NCD policies and programs
As childhood and adolescent deaths from infectious diseases have declined worldwide, policymakers are shifting attention to preventing deaths from noncommunicable causes, such as drug and alcohol use, mental health problems, obesity, traffic crashes, violence and unsafe sex practices.
Read more...