Obesity is one of the leading health problems in the world, associated with several other serious health conditions. High blood pressure (hypertension), elevated blood sugar (diabetes) and a poor blood lipid profile are some of the consequential effects of obesity, collectively known as metabolic syndrome.
Watch out for these most common causes for overweight – leading to obesity – and make sure you take precautions if you notice that they are part of your lifestyle!
- Fast Food
Fast food has a high calorie count but a low nutritional value. Most often than not, such foods are high in sugar, carbohydrates and fat. Frequent consumption of fast/junk food is associated with high BMI, otherwise known as overweight.
If your weight is borderlining or touching the “overweight” range, remember to reduce the intake of such unhealthy, processed foods and replace them with more of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts.
- Calorie Intake
The food we eat is converted into energy and is measured in calories. If an individual’s daily consumption of calories exceeds the recommended 2500 calories (for men) and 2000 calories (for women), it might be difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
Avoid consuming too many sugary drinks and alcohol as these contain lot of calories and can contribute to unwanted weight gain and obesity in the long run.
- Lack of Physical Activity
Lack of physical activity is another important cause of unwanted weight gain. If you don’t use up the energy consumed through your meals, it will be stored in the body in the form of fat.
Especially if you are in a white-collar job which involves hours of continued sitting at a desk, make a conscious effort to exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes for five days in a week. Another suggestion is that you take to cycling or walking while travelling short distances.
- Certain medical conditions & medications
Sometimes, medical conditions like Hypothyroidism (where thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough hormones) and Cushing’s syndrome (a rare disease that produces excess steroid hormones) can cause overweight.
Medications like antidepressants have also been linked to weight gain, and many pharmaceutical drugs can cause weight gain as a side effect. Talk to your doctor to see how to prevent or reverse the unwarranted weight.
- Genetics
Genetics plays a large role in influencing many health conditions – and obesity is one of them. This means that a person with a family history of obesity is two to eight times at a greater risk of becoming obese.
However, by controlling diet, lifestyle and environmental factors, it is possible to keep obesity at bay.
