
More people are classed as overweight than of normal weight – and more importantly, 27 percent of women and 24 percent of men are classified as clinically obese.
WHAT CAUSES OBESITY?
Your natural body weight is influenced by many factors, including your age, sex, shape and genetics. You gain weight when what you eat is not used by the body as energy (calories) and is instead stored in adipose (fatty) tissue. In women, this is usually around the hips, thighs and buttocks, the arms and shoulders. In men, fat builds up around the waist and stomach.
Obesity tends to run in families, not only through genetics but because most people acquire their eating habits from their families. Very rarely, obesity is caused by glandular problems, such as an underactive thyroid or overactive adrenals. Getting older can have an effect, too; older people use less energy, may have joint and mobility problems, lose muscle mass, have slower metabolic rates and store more fat.
PROBLEMS CAUSED BY OBESITY
It is important to understand that obesity is not simply a cosmetic problem. Even moderate weight gain as an adult increases your risk of illness later. Many overweight people have high blood pressure and … Read the rest





