Obesity is a condition where a person has excess body fat. Being overweight and being obese are different, being overweight can be from excess mussel or water weight. Obesity is identified by your BMI and waist circumference, a BMI of 30 or above is considered obese. The average obesity rate in the United States is around 33% and it is constantly rising. It is important to be cautious of your weight because obesity can lead to many issues with your health including,
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Gallbladder disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea
- Breathing problems
- Cancer
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Body pain
But what causes obesity? There are many things that can lead to a person becoming obese such as,
- Consuming too many calories- when a person consumes more calories than they are burning each day those extra calories are stored as fat.
- Leading an inactive lifestyle- many people are leading inactive lives by driving instead of walking, sitting at a desk for long hours at work, and watching tv or searching the internet at home. These sedentary activities can quickly lead to a person becoming obese.
- Lack of sleep- not sleeping enough during the night can lead to excess weight gain.
- Medication- some medications can cause you to gain weight. If you think your medication is causing weight gain it is important to talk with your doctor about possibly changing your medication.
- Genetics- Obesity and weight gain can also be caused by inheriting certain genes from your parents.
Start today and avoid many health issues by making some changes in the way you eat, sleep, and live your life!