How Does Someone End Up Obese? Top 10 Causes

Obesity is a complex health problem for which there is not a single cure or a single cause. Obesity is influenced by a number of factors. Here are the top 10 causes.

1. Lack of energy balance - In most cases, obesity is caused by lack of energy balance. In order to maintain weight, it is important that a person burns the same amount of calorie that he has consumed. However, to be able to lose weight, a person has to burn more calories than he has consumed. It is very important to keep a balance between the amount that has been taken in and the amount that has been taken out. If you have taken in more than you are able to take out, you are at a serious risk of*gaining weight and ending up being obese.
2. Lethargy - Today, most of the American population lead an active lifestyle. This is another major cause of obesity in USA. These days, instead of walking to the nearby shop, most people take their cars. Instead of using the stairs, they take the elevator. All these things make people's lifestyle inactive which leads to health problems including obesity.
3. Environmental factors - The environment we live in today does not support healthy living. Some examples include lack of affordable gyms, not having enough area for sidewalks, parks, busy work schedules, oversized food portions, lack of healthy food options, etc.
4. Family History - Genes play an important role on the weight of a person. As a matter of fact, certain health conditions including obesity tends to run in families. If your family has a history of being overweight, chances are that you may be obese as well.
5. Health conditions - Hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome can cause obesity.
6. Medicines - There are certain types of medicines that can cause obesity. These include antidepressants, seizure medicines, etc.
7. Sleep deprivation - If you are deprived of sleep, there are chances of you becoming overweight. According to studies, it has been found that a person who sleeps less prefers eating unhealthy food or foods which are high in carbohydrates and calories. This can lead to overeating and as a result weight gain.
8. Stress - Stress causes a number of health problems including being overweight. When people are stressed or angry, they tend to eat more and this can lead to overeating and obesity.
9. Quit Smoking - When people quit smoking, their metabolic rate decreases. When this happens, their body is unable to burn calories faster and it can lead to gaining more weight.
10. Pregnancy - Many women gain weight during pregnancy and find it difficult to lose weight after giving birth. This can lead to being overweight, especially if you have given birth few times. 

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Asking "How Can I Lose Weight" - 3 Easy Steps for Long Term Weight Loss

Are you asking yourself how can I lose weight? If so, you're not alone. Millions of people are asking that same question... the solution may be easier than you think. Although you may find that hard to believe, especially, if you've been trying tirelessly for years... believe me I know the feeling.
I kept yo-yoing until recently when I ran across this information that I'm going to share with you. SO GET EXCITED, because you are in the process to learn the secrets to permanent weight loss. Now while some people would have you to believe that to lose weight is an enormous task, it doesn't 'have to be. And further more, you don't need a complicated diet plan, a personal trainer, or expensive supplements to drop those few extra pounds
Below are the 3 major concerns that will help you change your mantra from "how can I lose weight" to... "I've loss 15-20 pounds."
Read on...
Drink Plenty of Water
Most people overlook the obvious. And water is just that. Water is often overlooked in most nutritional plans.
But this element is crucial for weight loss and allows proper health. Water helps stabilize stored fat and fight-off excess fat and toxins. It also prevent bloating and helps with the elimination process. In addition, it helps curb your appetite. Keeping in mind, the more water ynu drink the less food you eat. Most people actually do under-estimate how much water they really need.
So if you're still asking that proverbial question how can i lose weight, here's another question you should add; 'how much water do i drink a day? Here's how to determine the amount of water that you need to drink based on your weight. Explained is an easy way to calculate, let's say that you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink a minimum of 90 ounces of water daily, that's 1/2 of your body weight.
Nutritious Eating
Eating a healthy diet will keep your system operating properly so you burn fat more adequately.
If your eating plan lacks any of the listed nutrients, then you aren't eating nutritious enough.
- carbohydrates
- protein
- minerals
- vitamins
- and healthy fats
To ensure you get adequate amounts of all of these nutrients, incorporate a variety of healthy, one ingredient foods to your diet like:
- eggs, whole eggs not just egg whites
- raw nuts, mostly any kind, but some are better than others
- vegetables, yes mother was right, eat your veggies
- beans, yes beans are a great source of protein
- lean meats, lean meats makes you slim and lean
- and fruits, remember fruit adds fiber which helps with the removal process.
Make Time To Exercise
When you start to eat healthy, you'll instantly reduce the about of calories you eat and you'll start to lose weight. However, unless you add exercise to the game-plan, your metabolism will eventually slow down and ultimately reduce your ability to burn fat. Regardless to popular belief, there's no way to target specific areas for fat loss.
To burn fat, add thirty to sixty minutes of high intensity cardiovascular activity with a balance healthy diet, and watch as the fat around your belly melt like butter. A few exercises that will help: I.e. zumba, rugby, basketball. If you're out of shape, doing a 30 to 60 minute workout may be too much at first. However, if 30 minutes is too much, start off with what you can do. Then of course, work your way up as you lose weight and gain more energy.

Don't try to change all at once. Start by making small changes. Initially, you can add eating more fruits and veggies, increase your water intake and incorporate a few minutes of exercise 3-4 days a week. Believe me, once you consistently make these adjustments, you won't be asking that forbidden question any longer, that is "how can I lose weight, the answer will be as clear as the numbers on your scale.
Keep in mind, wishing, hoping and praying alone won't help, however, it's easier when you know which foods stored fat and which ones burn fat and how to exercise for only 15 minutes and still burn fat and calories. Go here for your shortcut to quick, easy weight loss. Good Luck!

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The Risks of Excessive Abdominal Fat

The Truth About Abdominal Fat
Abdominal fat is nothing to mess around with. Studies have proven that men and women with excessive abdominal fat are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer, which will likely lead to an early death. "Beer bellies" and "muffin tops" are just as significant of a risk factor as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day or having high cholesterol.
Women typically store fat in their butt and hips, while men tend to store it in their abdominal area, putting men at a greater risk. Specifically, women with waists larger than 35 inches and men with waists 40 inches or more, are about twice as likely to die prematurely of heart disease or cancer.
Visceral Fat vs Subcutaneous Fat
Visceral Fat is the fat around your internal organs, while subcutaneous fat is that annoying fat covering up that six pack. While most everyone hates their subcutaneous fat, that is not the kind you need to be most concerned with. The fact is that visceral fat is more closely linked with health problems than obesity in general. Because visceral fat is so much closer to the intestines, it is easily absorbed into the blood stream, which often ends up clogging the coronary arteries. Clogged arteries can lead to hypertension, diabetes, and many other metabolic problems.
How to tell if you have too much belly fat?
People who gain belly fat are at greater risk of serious health problems, even death, than are people who accumulate fat in other areas. Since men are more likely than women to gain weight around the waist, they should not take their measurements lightly.
Your waist size alone can give you a good estimate of whether or not you have too much belly fat. All you need is a tape measure. To measure your waist:
1. Place a tape measure around your abdomen just above your hipbone.
2. Pull the tape measure until it fits snuggly around you but is not pushing into your skin.
3. Make sure the tape measure is level all the way around.
4. Do not suck in your belly!
If you are a women and your abdomen measurement is >35 inches, or if you're a man with a measurement >40 inches, you may be at risk of developing the following:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Some types of cancer
• Type 2 diabetes
• Insulin resistance
• High triglycerides
• Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol
• Metabolic syndrome
• Sleep apnea

How to Reduce Belly Fat (Diet and Exercise)
Belly fat can be reduced substantially by eating whole grain products rather than refined, due to the fact that whole grains have more volume and fewer calories that keep you satisfied longer. Studies have shown that whole grains "reduce blood sugar levels after a meal because they take longer to digest." Basically, replacing refined grains with whole grains as part of a balanced diet is not only beneficial to your cardiovascular health, but can help you lose abdominal fat as well.
Another way to reduce belly fat is to train the whole body. Spot reduction does not work, so don't waste your time doing a million sit-ups. Strength training and aerobics improve insulin sensitivity and burn calories, which helps to get rid of fat all over the body, including visceral fat. The really good news is that visceral fat is usually the first to go, however, that also means that subcutaneous fat may hang around a little while longer. But don't think that exercise isn't doing a thing for you if your six pack isn't showing; getting rid of that visceral fat will help improve your overall health and may just save your life!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6905555

Childhood Obesity - Are We As a Society to Blame?

Some people reading this may well remember when an evening after school, or a weekend afternoon, was spent going to the park to play and run around with nothing more than a bottle of water and a few jam butties for refreshment. Everybody enjoyed themselves and nobody complained.
This seems a far cry from the kids of today who only walk as far as the room where the computer is situated and refreshment comes in the form of crisps, chocolate bars, biscuits and a plentiful supply of carbonated drinks. Childhood obesity is on the rise and I cannot help thinking that we as a society have allowed it to happen, to such an extent that it has become a runaway train.
Research has shown that by far the greatest increases in childhood obesity have occurred in North America and Western Europe. In the UK alone about one in six children are obese, a staggering statistic. The advent of the fast food chains has accelerated this growth. The problem is that, what was once seen as a treat to go to one of these "restaurants", has now become the norm. Clever marketing reinforces the brand popularity resulting in more regular visits that eventually become habit-forming. All these places are just chasing the dollar, and we happily oblige.
There is also a link between obesity and low-income areas. The irony being that it is more economical to cook healthily than it is to buy take-a-ways on a regular basis, but we don't cook enough.
Celebrities, like Jamie Oliver, are going some way to promote the change in the thinking required to get back to basics and get our children eating healthy again. There is a vending company in Liverpool that operate a pioneering scheme whereby they provide vending machines to schools vending fresh fruit daily. Schools are the places where kids can start eating healthily again, mainly because schools can enforce restrictions limiting choice.
Of course, there are medical conditions, like the Prader-Willi syndrome, which cause problems controlling hunger and therefore result in obesity, but on the whole we could make a vast difference if we all made an effort to get back to how it used to be.
Unless we stop allowing ourselves to be taken in by clever marketeers or until multi-nationals stop placing pounds shillings and pence above the well-being of our children, this train is gonna keep on runnin'.!

- Des B Flanagan