We have all been hearing about obesity and overweight and many of us have tried to take steps toward reducing our risk for becoming obese. We start to watch our weight, cut out certain foods, counting calories, but being obese is not just about what you weigh, it's about having too much fat in your body. Carrying too much body fat has harmful effects on your health (eatright.org).
Research has found that there are many causes for obesity, notwithstanding that, taking in more calories than you use up will ultimately lead to obesity in most cases, but there are many other reasons:
Research has found that there are many causes for obesity, notwithstanding that, taking in more calories than you use up will ultimately lead to obesity in most cases, but there are many other reasons:
· Genetics – Genes can directly cause obesity in disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome (primarily affects the eyes but is also a condition in which fat is disproportionately distributed on the abdomen and chest rather than the arms and legs) and Prader-Willi syndrome (Beginning in childhood, affected individuals develop an insatiable appetite, which leads to chronic overeating and obesity).
· Family history – According to the Université Laval Research Chair in Obesity, obesity risk is two to eight times higher for a person with a family history as opposed to a person with no family history of obesity.
· Medications – There are some medications that may cause weight gain, such as anti-depressants, steroids and beta blockers (medications that reduce high blood pressure).
· Lifestyle habits – This would encompass our eating habits, stress, activity level
· Not enough sleep – Affects hormones that increase appetite.
· Medical problems – Conditions such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome and even depression can contribute to obesity.
It should be noted that the body cannot function smoothly without body fat, however, too much fat can negatively affect it. In order to prevent complications that can result in too much body fat, it is helpful if you know of the current body fat percentage in the body and the ideal percentage it needs. The American Council on Exercise states that body fat must ideally constitute 14 – 17 percentage of the total weight of a man, and in women it should be around 21 – 24 percentage of total weight. When you know the exact fat percentage in your body, it can help in setting realistic goals for weight loss. There are many scales available that measure your body fat percentage, and even using skinfold calipers will do. Keeping track of your body fat percentage can assist in your aim to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Weight loss and fat loss are two different concepts, when you look at two individuals, same sex, and age but one is athletically built and has more muscle but the other one is normal. You may find that the athlete may weigh a lot more than the other individual because of the vast amount of muscle mass and the weight it provides. The other person’s weight may be associated with body fat content, and would be at higher risk for fat related complications. It is therefore important to lose body fat other than just focusing on losing body weight.
Having more muscle will also increase your metabolic rate as muscle on a whole requires more calories than fat. As such, it is always good to include exercise plans that has resistance training as part of the regimen, when you decide to try out a weight loss plan to lose body fat, it is good when you adopt a plan that combines exercise with a healthy diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and reduced amounts of processed carbohydrates and unhealthy fat sources.
By Cherine Usherwood
References
http://www.obesity.ulaval.ca/obesity/generalities/genetic.php
https://www.healthstatus.com/
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/
· Family history – According to the Université Laval Research Chair in Obesity, obesity risk is two to eight times higher for a person with a family history as opposed to a person with no family history of obesity.
· Medications – There are some medications that may cause weight gain, such as anti-depressants, steroids and beta blockers (medications that reduce high blood pressure).
· Lifestyle habits – This would encompass our eating habits, stress, activity level
· Not enough sleep – Affects hormones that increase appetite.
· Medical problems – Conditions such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome and even depression can contribute to obesity.
It should be noted that the body cannot function smoothly without body fat, however, too much fat can negatively affect it. In order to prevent complications that can result in too much body fat, it is helpful if you know of the current body fat percentage in the body and the ideal percentage it needs. The American Council on Exercise states that body fat must ideally constitute 14 – 17 percentage of the total weight of a man, and in women it should be around 21 – 24 percentage of total weight. When you know the exact fat percentage in your body, it can help in setting realistic goals for weight loss. There are many scales available that measure your body fat percentage, and even using skinfold calipers will do. Keeping track of your body fat percentage can assist in your aim to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Weight loss and fat loss are two different concepts, when you look at two individuals, same sex, and age but one is athletically built and has more muscle but the other one is normal. You may find that the athlete may weigh a lot more than the other individual because of the vast amount of muscle mass and the weight it provides. The other person’s weight may be associated with body fat content, and would be at higher risk for fat related complications. It is therefore important to lose body fat other than just focusing on losing body weight.
Having more muscle will also increase your metabolic rate as muscle on a whole requires more calories than fat. As such, it is always good to include exercise plans that has resistance training as part of the regimen, when you decide to try out a weight loss plan to lose body fat, it is good when you adopt a plan that combines exercise with a healthy diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and reduced amounts of processed carbohydrates and unhealthy fat sources.
By Cherine Usherwood
References
http://www.obesity.ulaval.ca/obesity/generalities/genetic.php
https://www.healthstatus.com/
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/