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.

Obesity definition

Obesity has bad effects on the general health and lifestyle of an individual. People who are overweight become very inactive as they find it hard to participate in great number of daily activities. They cannot move easily, they are always tired and they risk of becoming sick with different kinds of illnesses ranging from cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, and many others.

Causes of Obesity

It is already known that most common reasons for obesity can be sedentary lifestyle, high intake of calories and even scientific reasons (such as psychiatric, medical and genetic causes). As it was mentioned above, a sedentary and inactive lifestyle is the first on the list of causes of obesity. A person finds it difficult to exercise or take up some sport, which gradually has negative influence on his weight making him obese.

Another cause of obesity is genetics or heredity. It has been found out that the gene for obesity has been passed on from generation to generation. Hence, the children are found to show a tendency for obesity in families where parents are found to be obese. People who are afflicted with genetic factors for obesity have a lot of difficulty with losing weight in the long term.
Furthermore, some psychological problems can cause obesity. It means that people tend to overeat when they are sad, disturbed, angry, even bored with something which, as a consequence, leads to obesity. Also, some diseases and conditions like Cushing’s syndrome, Hypothyroidism, Depression, and certain neurological problems cause overeating which in turn leads to the accumulation of excessive fat in the organism.

But, the most common reason why people overeat is that they don’t actually have enough time to eat healthy food as they are overloaded with many duties. Chaotic schedules have contributed to the consumption of fast and processed food, which, on one hand, lacks in vitamins and minerals and, on the other, has a high amount of calories.

So, how can an individual get rid of obesity?

Obese people think that they will be fat forever and that they will never lose weight. Of course this is not true, and the solution does exist. You can easily cure obesity if you are disciplined, have a strong will, and if you stick to the rules which you must follow when you decide to go on a diet. The most important thing is to recognize the problem and then visit your doctor who will give you professional advice regarding your obesity issue.

Luckily, there is a wide range of weight loss programs today, which give excellent results. Or you can even choose some other methods that suit your needs, among which some can be very extreme such as obesity surgery or intake of anti-obesity drugs.