What Causes Obesity?
Many things are involved in causing obesity, a chronic and complicated medical condition that involves having too much body fat.
Along with eating and activity patterns, your genes, environment, and emotions play a role. So can your hormones, medical conditions you have, and medications you take.
Diet and Activity
Among the things that contribute to obesity are what and how much we eat and move.
Food And Diet
People can gain weight when they take in more calories from food and drinks than their bodies burn over time. You burn calories for essential body functions like breathing, blinking, digestion, and movements like walking. Your body stores any extra calories as fat.
But obesity goes beyond simple calorie math—the type of food you regularly include in your diet matters, too. A diet rich in whole grains, fruits, and veggies not only helps protect against weight gain but is suitable for your overall health.
Physical Activity
Lack of physical activity contributes to weight gain, too. Your activity level doesn’t include just your exercise routine but also how you move your body daily. Across the world, people drive more, use more labor-saving devices, and are less likely to have jobs that involve physical activity compared to a few decades ago. 1 in 3 people worldwide get little or no exercise.
Medical Causes of Obesity
Several medical conditions can lead to excess weight, including:
- Hypothyroidism: This is a condition in which the thyroid gland in your neck produces too little thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone regulates your metabolism. Too little of it slows your metabolism and often causes weight gain.
- Cushing’s Syndrome: This happens when your adrenal glands (on top of each kidney) make too much of a steroid hormone called cortisol. This leads to fat buildup in areas like the face, upper back, and abdomen.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: This happens when your ovaries make too much of a male hormone called androgen, resulting in problems with your period. This hormonal imbalance can cause you to gain weight.
- Inherited Conditions: and other diseases of the brain can also cause excess weight gain.
Some medications can also cause increased body or hinder weight loss, such as:
- Steroids
- Certain antidepressants
- Antipsychotics
- High blood pressure drugs called beta-blockers
- Some seizure medications
- Some medications for diabetes
- Some hormonal birth control medications
If you gain weight after you start one of these medications, tell your doctor. They may be able to suggest another option.
Aging And Obesity
Aging is another factor in weight gain and obesity. As you grow older, you lose muscle. This slows down the rate at which you burn calories. Many people also become less physically active as they age.
The hormonal changes of menopause can contribute to weight gain, too.
Genetic Causes of Obesity
Sometimes, genes are directly linked to obesity, or at least a condition that leads to it. This is the case with Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic condition in which you constantly want to eat and never feel full.
Your genes can also affect how much fat your body stores and where you store it. They can influence your metabolism, how your body controls your appetite, and how well you burn calories when you exercise.
But, in most cases, heredity alone doesn’t cause obesity. It works with things in your environment, such as unhealthy eating patterns, to influence your weight. Healthy lifestyle habits can help to offset their effects.
Hormones, Stress, and Sleep
Among the other things that experts believe are involved in obesity are various hormones, your emotions, and whether you get enough sleep.
Hormones
Specific hormone problems like hypothyroidism are among the medical issues that can cause weight gain. Beyond that, several hormones your body makes are involved in hunger, calorie burning, and how you store fat. They include:
- Leptin, a hormone made by fat cells that affect appetite and fat storage
- Insulin, which is made by your pancreas and regulates blood sugar levels and fat-burning
- Ghrelin, also known as the “hunger hormone,” which is made by your stomach and regulates appetite
- The sex hormones estrogen and androgen, which help determine where your body stores fat
People with obesity tend to have differences in how much of these hormones their bodies make and how their brains and bodies respond to them. These differences may lead to weight gain. But, obesity can also cause hormonal changes.
Stress And Other Emotions
You may tend to eat more when you’re bored, stressed, angry, or sad. You also may be more likely to choose high-calorie foods like sugary treats and drinks. If you have a mood issue like depression, you might not feel like exercising.
Issues that often go along with obesity, like physical pain, tend to affect your moods. This can create a cycle of emotional upheaval and weight gain.
Sleep
Research has found that people who don’t get enough good sleep are at higher risk for obesity. Hormones your body releases during sleep help to control your appetite and metabolism. And when you’re over-tired, you may be less likely to exercise and more likely to choose unhealthy foods.
Environmental Causes of Obesity
You might not realize it, but your environment significantly affects your weight.
For example, if your neighborhood has many fast-food restaurants and few markets selling healthy foods, it may be hard to eat well. If you don’t have easy access to parks to play sports or the lack of sidewalks makes walking dangerous, you may not get enough activity.
Other things in the world around you that can contribute to obesity include:
- Marketing of high-calorie foods
- High prices for quality food
- Harsh weather that limits outdoor exercise
- Large restaurant portions
- Easy access to unhealthy foods through delivery apps
Social Determinants of Obesity
The conditions where you were born, worked, and live influence your odds of developing obesity. Experts call these “social determinants of health.” Along with your environment, they include things like your income level, education, access to health care, and social relationships.
Social Networks and Support
Social connections affect obesity in several ways:
- You’re more likely to have obesity if your friends and relatives do.
- Social isolation may put you at a higher risk for developing obesity as well as other chronic health problems.
- A reliable support network can make a big difference when you’re trying to lose weight.
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