Technology has made the production of food much easier and much faster. Technology has also made work in almost every industry easier. Due to the surplus of produced food, people have had the opportunity to eat more; while technological advances have allowed them to expend less energy at work. Needless to say, people have been eating more food and burning less fat. This is primarily the reason why there are so many weight problems emerging, especially in first world countries.
The most common of these weight issues is obesity. According to statistics, the number of obese people in the UK has tripled since the 80’s. The obesity issues in the United States are even more concerning. According to the most recent data, over 33.8% of American adults are obese! In order to properly tackle the problem of obesity, you must first understand what causes it. Below are five of the most common causes of obesity and other weight issues:
- A Change in Work Pattern
This may come as a surprise, but one cause of sudden weight gain is changing jobs. If you transferred to a job that required less physical effort than the one you had before and you’ve maintained your food intake, you might encounter weight problems. This happens often when a person who used to commute to work suddenly finds an opportunity to work across the street or at home. He’d still be eating the same amount of food, but he’ll be burning less energy. If left unchecked, this weight gain could lead to obesity issues. If you find yourself in this situation, you should either reduce your food intake, or find time to work out and burn some of those extra calories.
- Stress
Different people have different means to deal with daily stress. Some people exercise, some people meditate and some people eat. These are all normal stress-dealing patterns. However, weight problems may occur for people who eat to relieve stress, especially when the level of stress increases. Another reason stress can cause obesity issues is because people who are stressed experience a type of exhaustion that discourages them from exercising or engaging in physical activities. If you want to avoid weight-gain, try to find healthy means of dealing with stress.
- Illness
The only way to lose weight is to use energy. The calories we gain from food is converted to energy that we spend on our daily physical activities. The calories that are not converted to energy and spent are kept in our bodies as fat. Illness can cause a person to be inactive. If you have poor health in general, you might encounter obesity issues for spending too much time being inactive. A person who goes for long stretches while burning little energy will definitely gain weight. The best thing you can do to fight weight problems in general is to try to maintain good health. Take vitamins and exercise. Develop healthy habits that can strengthen your immune system.
- Genetics
Some people are just more prone to weight problems than others. If your family has a history of obesity issues then you have to take extra measures to prevent weight-gain from happening. You’re going to have friends who are fortunate enough to have faster metabolism. When those friends of yours indulge in food and drink, it might be best not to try and keep up with them. The consequences of this type of lifestyle will be more devastating for you than it will be for them. Having poor genetics does not free you from being accountable for your own health.
- Changing Exercise Routines
Weight problems may also emerge from exercising, especially if your exercise schedule is erratic. Think of the body as an automated system. When you routinely spend a lot of energy, the body adapts and tries to manage your energy based on your food intake. Going from exercising every day to not exercising at all might suddenly cause you to gain weight. Your body would have created a reservoir of energy, expecting you to use it. If you don’t use it, it will be stored in your body as fat.
Regardless of what solution you choose, always remember that weight loss solutions don’t happen overnight. If you’re looking to solve your weight problems, you must be very patient with yourself, especially if you’re dealing with obesity issues.
We live in a world where thinness is promoted as a prerequisite for happiness. Don’t buy into this idea. Otherwise, you might be tempted to resort to drastic measures to achieve a waif-like appearance. You don’t have to be thin; you just have to maintain a weight that would allow you to live a healthy life free from the health risks that usually come with obesity problems.