Causes of Obesity and Overweight

CausesofObesityandOverweight
ByDrAnanyaMandal,MD

Thetermsoverweightandobesityrefertoanexcessamountbodyoffatthat
maybedetrimentaltohealth.

Thecurrentstandardwayofclassifyingoverweightorobesityisthrough
calculationofapersonsbodymassindex(BMI),whichistheirweightin
kilogramsdividedbythesquareoftheirheightinmeters.

Foradults,overweightisdefinedasabodymassindex(BMI)ofbetween25
and29.9obesityasaBMIof30to39.9andextremeobesityasaBMIof40
ormore.Forchildren,overweightorobesityisclassifiedasaBMIatorhigher
thanthe85thpercentileandobesityasaBMIatorabovethe95thpercentile.

ImageCredit:SuzanneTucker/Shutterstock

RecentestimatesfromtheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)showthatin
2014,about39%ofadultsgloballywereobese,about13%wereoverweight
andthattherehadbeenadoublinginobesityprevalence,comparedwith
1980.About40millionchildrenagedunder5yearsclassedasoverweightor
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1980.About40millionchildrenagedunder5yearsclassedasoverweightor
obeseandasidefrompartsofsubSaharanAfricaandAsia,therearemore
casesofoverweightandobesityworldwidethantherecasesofunderweight.

Overweightandobesityusedtomainlybeconsideredasaprobleminhigh
incomecountries,butnow,lowandmiddleincomecountriesareseeing
significantincreasesofcases,especiallyinurbanareas.Childrenfromsuch
countriesarelesslikelytohavebeenadequatelynourished,whetheritbe
prenatally,duringinfanthoodorasyoungchildren.Thesechildrentendtobe
exposedtofoodsoflowernutritionalcontent.Thefoodsaremoreaffordable,
buttheyarealsohighinfat,sugarandsalt.This,incombinationwith
decreasedphysicalactivitylevelsasaresultofmoresedentarylifestylesand
increasedtransport,hasledtosharprisesinchildhoodobesity,aswellas
malnourishmentproblems.

Overweightandobesityarecausedbyanenergyimbalancebetweencalories
consumedandcaloriesexpendedwhenusedasenergybythebody.Asteady
bodyweightismaintainedwhenthecalorieintakeisequaltothecalories
burned.Whenthiscalorieintakeexceedstheamountburned,theenergyleft
overisstoredasfatandeventuallyapersonstartstogainweightandisatan
increasedriskofbecomingoverweightorobese.Energyintakeand
expenditurealsoneedtobebalancedinchildren,butthefactthatchildren
growneedstobeaccountedfor.Energyisconsideredbalancedwhencalories
areburnedtosupportgrowth,butwithoutcausingweightgain.

Manyfactorscontributetoweightgain,overweightandobesityincluding
genetics,lifestylefactorssuchasdietandexercise,medicationuse,placeof
habitat,educationlevelandincome.

CausesAmongAdults
Behaviors:Themainaspectsofhealthybehaviorsareahealthydietand
regularphysicalactivity.AccordingtotheDietaryGuidelinesforAmericans,a
healthydietwouldincludefruit,vegetables,wholegrainsandleanproteinsand
alimitedintakeofhighfatfoods.AccordingtothePhysicalActivityGuidelines
forAmericans,adultsshouldengagein150minutesofmoderateexercise
and/or75minutesofintenseexercise,aswellasstrengthbuildingexercises.
Failingtoadheretotheseguidelinesbyeatinganunhealthydietandnot
exercisingenough,increasestheriskofoverweight,obesityandtheassociated
complicationssuchasheartdiseaseandtype2diabetes.
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Causes of Obesity and Overweight

complicationssuchasheartdiseaseandtype2diabetes.

Environmentandcommunity:Peopletendtobasedecisionsabouttheir
lifestyleonthepeopleandenvironmenttheyaresurroundedby.Forexample,
unsaferoutestoworkorashoppingoutletmayleadpeopletochoose
transportinsteadofwalking.Peoplesworkorschoolenvironments,healthcare
andhomelifecanalsoinfluencehowapersonbehavesonadaytodaybasis.

Genetics:Researchhassuggestedthatgeneticfactorsdoinfluencehow
peoplerespondtoahighcalorieintakeorchangesintheenvironment.Gene
variantshavealsobeenidentifiedthatincreasehungerandtheamountoffood
peopleeat.

Disease:Certaindiseasescanleadtoapersonbecomingoverweightorobese,
withexamplesbeingCushingsdiseaseandpolycysticovarysyndrome.

Medications:Certainmedicationssuchasantidepressantsandsteroidscan
leadtoweightgain.

CausesAmongChildren
Thecausesofoverweightandobesityinchildrenaresimilartothosethat
causeadultobesity,suchasunhealthydaytodaybehaviorsandgeneticrisk
factors.Eatingahighcaloriedietthatisrichinfatandlowinnutrientsand
havingasedentarylifestylethatinvolveswatchinglotsofTVandplaying
computergamescanincreasetheriskofachildbecomingoverweightor
obese.

Engaginginregularexerciseandeatingahealthydiet,ontheotherhand,can
helpchildrentogrowwithoutgainingtoomuchweight.Again,environmentsor
communitiesthatdonotencourageahealthylifestylecanmakeitdifficultfor
childrentochoosehealthyfoodsandgetenoughexercise.Otherenvironmental
factorsincludeavailabilityandaffordabilityoffoods,foodadvertisingandthe
behaviorsofpeers.

EditedbySallyRobertson,BSc

Sources

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Causes of Obesity and Overweight

www.niddk.nih.gov/.../overweightobesity
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/

FurtherReading
WhatisObesity?
Obesity,WhatCanbeDone?
WhatisBodyMassIndex(BMI)?
ObesityandFastFood
ObesityandExercise
ObesityManagement
ObesityandBloodPressure
ObesityandDiabetes
ObesityandCancer
ObesityandDepression
ObesityandAutism
ObesityandHormones
ObesityandGenetics
ObesityinAdults
ObesityinPregnancy
ObesityandInfertility
ObesityandSexualHealth
ObesityandStress
ObesityandFractures
ObesityandArthritis
ObesityandMetabolicSyndrome
ObesityandDeepVeinThrombosis(DVT)
ObesityEpidemiology
WhatisObesityParadox?
ObesityandPeriodontitis
ObesityinChildren
ObesityandRespiratoryDisorders
ObesityandHeartDisease
ObesityandAnesthesia
ObesityandSkinProblems
FatMassandObesityAssociatedGene(FTO)
WhatdoesSleeveGastrectomyInvolve?

LastUpdated:Jun15,2017
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Causes of Obesity and Overweight

LastUpdated:Jun15,2017

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