Causes of Overweight & Obesity
You can become overweight or obese when you eat more calories (KAL-oh-rees) than you use. A calorie is a unit of energy in the food you eat. Your body needs this energy to function and to be active. But if you take in more energy than your body uses, you will gain weight.
Many factors can play a role in becoming overweight or obese. These factors include:
- Behaviors, such as eating too many calories or not getting enough physical activity
- Environment and culture
- Genes
Overweight and obesity problems keep getting worse in the United States. Some cultural reasons for this include:
- Bigger portion sizes
- Little time to exercise or cook healthy meals
- Using cars to get places instead of walking
What are the health effects of being overweight or obese?
Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Breathing problems
- Arthritis
- Gallbladder disease
- Some kinds of cancer
But excess body weight isn't the only health risk, The places where you store your body fat also affect your health. Women with a "pear" shape tend to store fat in their hips and buttocks. Women with an "apple" shape store fat around their waists. If your waist is more than 35 inches, you may have a higher risk of weight-related health problems.
