| Most overweight people go along with periods of | | | | money on calorie rich foods than on unprocessed |
| dieting, then off dieting, slowly gaining and then losing a | | | | fruits and veggies.. |
| bit, while others continue to gain weight continuously | | | | Lifestyle - social trend |
| until their Body Mass Index registers them as being in | | | | Fifty years ago people walked or cycled to work and |
| the obese category of overweight. | | | | most other places. Gardening and do it yourself was |
| Additional problems are brought on by aging, we slow | | | | mostly obligatory for financial reasons. Nowadays, the |
| down using less energy to complete tasks, or skip | | | | lifestyle of an individual has become more and more |
| them altogether. Exercising becomes more difficult due | | | | sedentary as the years go by. The more technology |
| to loss of muscle tissue, (lowering our metabolic rate), | | | | advances, the more people sit at home all day long |
| aches and pains and reduced stamina. | | | | doing nothing but staring at a screen, people would |
| With the tremendous increase in the percentage of | | | | rather play computer games and watch television in |
| obese, let alone overweight statistics, there are | | | | the comforts of their home. This plus the fact that they |
| obviously millions of references and miracle cures | | | | do not control their food intake is another big reason |
| around. Unfortunately in these articles, it can be seen | | | | why people become obese. |
| that the truth is somewhat less dramatic. | | | | Dieting |
| So to start with, why are so many of us so fat? | | | | This certainly goes under causes, read on. Recent |
| Genetic | | | | research has shown that dieting is a major cause of |
| Firstly there are genetic differences when it comes to | | | | obesity. While the long term success rate from dieting |
| weight gain. More than one of our building block codes, | | | | is less than one per cent, about 30 per cent of dieters |
| or genes as they are known, are responsible for our | | | | regain more than they lose as a direct result of their |
| metabolic rate, and for our desire to exercise. For | | | | dieting. Misleading advertising is, unfortunately, normal |
| example, one that has been discovered is called the | | | | for the diet industry. The majority of diet food products |
| FTO gene, and it regulates the amount of energy | | | | tested for the New York state Consumer Protection |
| burned, without it more energy is spontaneously used | | | | Board contained more calories than listed on their |
| for the same effort. | | | | package labels. 80 percent of the diet food products |
| Before birth and as infants | | | | tested exceeded claimed calories, some by as much |
| Weight gain problems can be initiated before you are | | | | as 73 calories per serving. Added sugar has been |
| born. In cases where the mother is diabetic, smokes or | | | | found in 25% of orange juice brands described as |
| has malnutrition and vitamin B deficiency, there is a | | | | pure and unsweetened. |
| greater chance of the child growing up overweight. | | | | Finally - those hormones |
| In infancy | | | | The hormone leptin signals to the brain (hypothalamus) |
| An early withdrawal off breast milk and replacement | | | | that the body has had enough to eat, In a small |
| with a high calorie diet, especially including monosodium | | | | percentage of people, there is a resistance to this |
| glutamate in infant formula, are indicators of future | | | | signal that tells us that we have sufficient storage of |
| obesity. | | | | fat. Several studies have shown that fasting and low |
| As children | | | | calorie diets lowers leptin levels. It might be that on |
| Overweight parents have overweight children. Children | | | | short term leptin is an indicator of energy balance. This |
| are easily influenced. The misguided habit of providing | | | | system is more sensitive to starvation than to |
| children with something to put in their mouths where | | | | overfeeding. That is, leptin levels do not rise extensively |
| ever they might be, shopping center, movies, beach, | | | | after overfeeding. And in people who constantly over |
| and the influence of peers under the same | | | | eat, this same resistance to the sufficiency signal |
| management will lead them unknowingly towards | | | | develops. In order to restore this balance a drug, |
| obesity. The school cafeteria looks like a fast food | | | | Fc-leptin is being developed. But this of course wont |
| joint filled with hamburgers, fries and pizza. | | | | guarantee that in the long run the hypothalamus just |
| Lifestyles - food | | | | increases its resistance. |
| Fast food today has never had a greater influence on | | | | Although we should not use theses causes as an |
| the public, it is convenient, tasty and addicting. Popular | | | | excuse, they are certainly relevant. So it important that |
| outlets promote the habits and traits of obese people | | | | people understand whether they are going to be prone |
| who suffer from overeating. This is one of the most | | | | for weight gain in order to take steps to limit the |
| important causes of obesity. The food industry, fast | | | | effects before it is too late. |
| food restaurants, and grocery stores make more | | | | |