Weight gain and obesity are complex conditions, dependent upon various lifestyle, hormonal, biochemical, metabolic and genetic factors. Some of the most important factors include:

Basal Metabolic Rate

Your BMR rate at which your body burns calories at rest. This rate is dependent on several of the factors listed below, such as activity level and thyroid function.

Caloric intake

Overeating and consuming more calories than your body uses for energy can result in weight gain – regardless of whether those calories come from fat, carbohydrates or protein.

Quality of food

Eating too much saturated fat, sugar, processed food and fast food is associated with weight gain.

Physical activity

Your activity level is the major player in weight balance. Inactivity causes loss of muscle mass, a reduced metabolic rate and increased body fat. Conversely, regular exercise can improve muscle mass and boost metabolism. As we exercise, our muscles utilize calories for energy and generate heat, which promotes the burning of fat.

Stress

Exposure to chronic stress can cause weight gain, particularly around the mid-section. This occurs because stress increases the production and release of Cortisol, a hormone that increases body fat storage.

Thyroid function

The thyroid gland plays a vital role in controlling metabolism. If your thyroid is sluggish and not functioning optimally, this can reduce your metabolic rate and cause weight gain.

Insulin

When insulin levels are high, the body stores more fat and is not able to use fat as a source of energy – the reason insulin is also known as “the fat storage hormone.” This can be a problem for those with insulin resistance who often develop hy-perinsulinemia (high insulin levels).

Genetics

Genetics may be responsible for about 25 percent of obesity cases, but experts agree that having a genetic predisposition towards obesity does not mean that this is your fate. Several studies have shown that lifestyle factors are a more important determinant.

Estrogen

High estrogen levels are associated with weight gain. Yet, many women find that they gain weight during menopause while their estrogen levels are lower. This happens because as estrogen levels decline in menopause, as a compensatory mechanism, the fat cells take over the production of estrogen. In order to meet the growing demand during menopause, they increase in size and number.

Testosterone

Testosterone helps the body maintain lean muscle mass and burn fat. A deficiency of this hormone can cause the loss of muscle mass and fat gain. This is a significant contributor to fat gain in older men.

Human growth hormone (HGH)

By increasing lean muscle mass and reducing body fat storage, human growth hormone regulates body weight. Levels decline with age, particularly after age 50, causing a shift in our body composition. As HGH decreases, we gain body fat and lose muscle mass.

Serotonin

Serotonin is a chemical messenger in the brain that regulates satiety. When levels are low, we feel hungry and when they are high, we feel satisfied. Certain weight-loss products work by elevating serotonin to promote satiety and reduce cravings for food. Leptin Satiety is also regulated by leptin, a hormone produced by body fat. Researchers have found that some people become resistant to their own leptin. To compensate for this the body produces more and more of the hormone, but the “satisfied” message is not property received by the brain.

The two main forms of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes because the body loses the ability to produce insulin, leaving the individual reliant on regular injections of insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. This form of diabetes typically develops early in life, but it may also occur secondary to uncontrolled or advanced Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes, which is also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, is strongly associated with obesity, inactive and consuming a poor diet. This form of diabetes was previously associated with aging, but we are seeing it occur in many youth and children today because of their greater propensity toward obesity, lack of activity and poor eating habits.

The link between obesity and diabetes is quite strong – over 60 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes are obese. The reason for this is that obesity leads to the development of a condition called insulin resistance. Insulin is the hormone that is released from the pancreas in response to elevated blood sugar. When we eat, our food is broken down and digested, and the sugar that is absorbed from our meal causes our blood sugar level to rise. Insulin works to bring sugar (glucose) into the cell where it is used for energy, thus lowering our blood sugar.

With insulin resistance, the body fails to respond properly to the insulin it already produces. As a result, blood sugar levels stay elevated and the body produces even more insulin in attempt to bring the sugar levels down. Yet, because the body is resistant to insulin, it is not able to lower blood sugar; therefore, it remains high. It is this inability to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels that is characteristic of Type 2 diabetes.

Researchers agree, the more you suffer from obesity, the greater your chances of diabetes. This information should be taken as an incentive – to make the move today to work on developing a leaner, healthier body.

Most often, obese children feel isolated and lonely because they suffer from emotional problems. This can result in developing extremely low self-esteem, which may sooner or later evolve into depression.

Due to the alienation feeling, they usually seem unable to develop key life and social skills, which, in general, can have serious consequences on founding normal relationships with other people.

Although a kid appears to be physically healthy in spite of being obese, the emotional and mental impact can be really discouraging.

The main cause of childhood obesity is eating habits. According to the American Obesity Association it has been found out that nearly 30 percent of parents claim their children consume less nutritious food than they did during their own childhood.

It seems that most of people do not eat often well-balanced and home-cooked meals. Instead, people choose fast food, which although being less expensive contributes to getting more and more fat.

What’s more, TV, computers, and video games lead to gaining more fat as they make you sit for hours and hours without doing any activity. These are really disturbing childhood obesity facts, but luckily, there are many things that can be done to prevent this from happening to your child.