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Causes of Obesity

Obesity has been on the rise in the United States over the past years, and this has set a worrying trend. According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 39% of adults over the age of twenty were found to be obese in the year 2016. Children have also been affected, with 13.9% of children aged 2-5 and 20.6% of teens 12-19 being overweight (Yang & Colditz 1412). With these alarming statistics, it is time to question what could be some of the factors that contribute to the rising numbers of obesity in the country and across the world. The three leading causes of obesity are dietary choices, lack of physical activity, and genetic factors.

Many more people choose to take diets high in food groups such as carbohydrates, salt, and sugar. Most of these foods are also highly refined, meaning that they add little or no nutritional value to the body. When young children begin to eat these foods from a young age, they get addicted to it as they grow older. Advertisers have also taken advantage of the situation to advertise more unhealthy foods, especially to children who don’t understand the negative impacts of such a diet. While it is not wrong to eat certain types of food once in a while, people must choose a nutritious diet for the majority of their meals to avoid obesity.

The second reason why the country has seen a rise in the number of obese people is physical inactivity. Most people have adopted a sedentary lifestyle, which is dangerous because it causes obesity and other related health issues. With the rise in the use of technology, children learn to use smartphones and tablets even before they can talk. As they grow older, they rarely go out to play with other children. Adults also drive to work and sit on a chair all day. Whenever someone wants to order some food or get some shopping done, all they have to do is go online, and their orders arrive at their doorstep. This lifestyle is very unhealthy.

The third factor contributing to the increasing rates of obesity is genetic factors. Research conducted by scientists shows a relationship between one’s genetics and a tendency to gain weight. Children born to obese parents are likely to be overweight, because what one eats causes some genes to be expressed more strongly. In a study carried out on identical twins to determine the effect of genetics on weight gain, it was found that the twins shared the same tendency to gain weight despite their diet (Allender et al. 28). However, people with a higher risk of obesity must make the necessary choices that can help them avoid gaining excessive amounts of weight.

In conclusion, the issue of obesity raises some serious concerns about the future. Some of the main causes of obesity are lack of physical activity, bad diet, and genetics. Obesity is dangerous because it affects the mental and physical wellbeing of a person. Some of the conditions associated with obesity include strokes, heart disease, joint pain, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, among others (Yang & Colditz 1413). In addition to this, overweight and obese people also suffer from low self-esteem and confidence because a lot of the time, they get bullied for their weight. At the individual level, people must make better choices about their eating and physical activity to avoid issues with weight. Maintaining a consistent healthy lifestyle is the only sure way to prevent obesity. The government and other nonprofit organizations have also come up with steps to address the issue, such as requiring food producers and restaurants to label calorie counts, and promote physical activity.

Works Cited

Allender, S., Owen, B., Kuhlberg, J., Lowe, J., Nagorcka-Smith, P., Whelan, J., & Bell, C. (2015). A community based systems diagram of obesity causes. PloS one, 10(7), e0129683.

Yang, L., & Colditz, G. A. (2015). Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 2007-2012. JAMA internal medicine, 175(8), 1412-1413.