Obesity

In a society so worried about looks, many people associate obesity with poor appearance. However, being overweight should be of much greater concern for health reasons than cosmetic. Primarily, we equate obesity with diabetes and heart disease, but it can really impact the rest of our bodily processes; a person's joints, breathing, sleep, mood, and energy levels can also be affected from carrying so much weight.

When someone's caloric intake is greater than the amount of calories they burn, the excess calories are stored as fat. For the majority of people, a couple pounds of additional body fat are not going to matter. But, when they get in the habit of consuming more calories than they burn, fat continues to build up.

At this rate, the amount of body fat reaches a level that becomes a medical burden. The term obese is used among medical professionals to explain when a patient is likely to develop a health problem as a result of their weight.

The number of people who are considered obese in our country has reached epidemic proportions. Not only are adults at risk, but the younger generation being included in this group too. A third of all children in the range of 2 to 19 years old are heavier than the average person their age. In turn, doctors are discovering health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes--disorders that used to only affect adults.

Obesity usually is genetic because some families are more prone to gaining weight than others due to a tendency to burn calories slower. During times in history where this was considered an advantage, food was usually scarce (e.g., Great Depression). However, since food can be obtained round the clock in many towns and cities, a slower metabolism now works against these people.

Besides being hereditary, obesity is also influenced by environmental factors like eating at a fast food restaurant because it is convenient or eating in front of the TV as opposed to a dining room table. Other things that are contributing obesity include:

Snacks that are high in calories but low in nutrients.
Larger helpings of food.
Inactivity.

People may also display an emotional attachment to food in which they feel the urge to eat whenever they are disturbed, nervous, stressed, or bored. In situations like these, overeating can be expected.

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