65% Americans are obese

There are hundreds of myths going around as to obesity causes, though in fact obesity is caused by any number of factors. Because of these myths about obesity causes, people with obesity are often persecuted for stereotypes. In fact, however, many of these supposed obesity causes are untrue, and people who have difficulties with obesity often have little control in their health and happiness.

1. Laziness is one of the main obesity causes

In fact, studies show that genetics are perhaps one of the biggest obesity causes. Environment, diet, and exercise do play a major role, but many groups, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) firmly acknowledge that genetics are a huge factor in obesity causes. People who are obese may be lazy, or they may not be; it depends on the person, just as it does for anyone else.

2. Obesity will kill you

People with obesity do, in fact, have a higher risk of death (though there are a few studies that dispute this), but not all people with obesity will have all of the effects that supposedly obesity causes. It’s true that it appears obesity causes many complications with health, however, people who are obese can be healthy by maintaining a healthy level of exercise and eating well.

3. 65% of Americans are obese

It is true that 65% of Americans are considered obese by the federal government, but some groups such as Obesity Myths suggest that this may be because the American government has unreasonable standards for obesity. Furthermore, they say that while the government considers high levels of fat and poor health to be all of the obesity causes, many obese people are actually only overweight because of their high amount of muscles inflates their weight. Of course, many people are obese because of fat, but many groups suggest that the 65% numbers are a bit too high.

4. Obesity kills 400,000 people a year in America

In 2004, the CDC published a study saying that 400,000 Americans died every year as a result of obesity. However, a little more than a year later they published another report saying that the primary study was flawed and that the real numbers were actually closer to 26,000 deaths per year. While the CDC itself acknowledged this, the myth that obesity causes death at a hugely increased rate has not abated.

Obesity Statistics

Obesity statistics suggest a variety of physical problems and complications associated with morbid obesity that are commonly cited as the biggest issues with morbid obesity. In fact, physical problems are extremely problematic, however they are not the only problems that people afflicted with morbid obesity face. Many reports and obesity statistics show that morbid obesity is also often associated with a social stigma that leads to actual problems in the treatment and social interactions of the personal with morbid obesity.

1. Medical care

Obesity statistics show disparaging treatment can be a major problem. For instance, one study done of nearly two and a half thousand women, many with morbid obesity or some form of being overweight, had the women rate their social interactions. More than half of these women reported that doctors had treated them poorly because of morbid obesity, or of some other kind of obesity. In addition, both doctors and nurses reported that patients with morbid obesity were viewed differently, or were treated differently. Obesity statistics show that both doctors and nurses report that they often believed that patients with morbid obesity were non-compliant, lazy, unsuccessful, or overindulgent, among a number of other negative factors. In addition nearly a quarter of nurses reported that patients with morbid obesity “repulsed” them, while nearly a third of nurses said they would prefer not to care for patients with morbid obesity.

2. Employment

Obesity statistics show that people with obesity also often report having been passed over for jobs and benefits or being fired because of their obesity. For instance, obesity statistics show that obese women generally earn 12% less than thinner women and are more likely to be in low paying jobs. Similarly, obese men are paid less and are under represented in managerial and professional positions. These obesity statistics also suggest that these men are more often passed over for promotions.

3. Psychological problems

Obesity statistics also show that psychologists believe that obese clients have more severe psychological problems, are more negative, and have worse prognosis. However, obesity statistics also show that obesity is associated with an increased risk of depression, as well as a number of other self-confidence and self-image issues. Obesity statistics also show that obese patients are more likely to cancel or reschedule appointments and pursue preventative health care services.

Urinary Incontinence

Obesity is well documented to be associated with a variety of different diseases including heart diseases and respiratory diseases. In addition to these diseases, however, obesity is associated with a higher risk of getting a much wider variety of diseases. Some of these diseases are caused by being obese, or may relate to the same factors that cause one to be obese, such as genetic dispositions. Some of the diseases less commonly known to be related to obesity are stated as follows.

1. Gout

Gout, though more often thought of as an antiquated disease, is far more common in obese people. Gout is the condition of elevated levels of uric acid crystals in the bloodstream which can cause swelling in single joints in the foot or large, swollen deposits or uric acid just under the skin in various places around the body. Though this disease is not usually particularly painful at its onset, it can become extremely problematic if one’s intake of uric acid is not decreased. The association of this disease with obesity has to do with the fact that both obesity and gout are often associated with excessive intake of certain meats and some alcoholic beverages.

2. Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the compression of wrist nerves leading to numbness and muscle weakness in the hands. This is usually associated with genetic predisposition to having the disease, but obese individuals are known to be 2.5 times more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. This is perhaps because

3. Dementia

Dementia is a fairly broad term used to describe a condition where a person tends to have decreased cognitive ability, especially in areas of memory, attention, language, and problem solving. Obesity is associated with higher rates of dementia.

4. Hirsutism

Hirsutism is the condition of having increased terminal hair in places where the body does not usually have terminal hair (the thicker hair usually acquired during puberty). Women in particular who are obese and have a higher resistance to insulin are more likely to have hirsutism.

5. Obesity hypoventilation syndrome

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is a disease that results in obese people because of their obesity. It is a condition where, as a result of being obese, people breathe slowly or more shallow than is normal and, as a result, have increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood and lower levels of oxygen. This leads to swelling in the legs or heart failure, and usually manifests in heavily disrupted sleep or sleepiness during awake time, conditions which are also associated with being obese.

6. Urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is the condition of having uncontrollable urine leakages. This is associated with being obese, and it has been shown that obese people with urinary incontinence who lose weight can reduce episodes of incontinence

Learn to Cook

Though some forms of obesity have been proven to be genetic and uncontrollable, most types of obesity are directly related to habit. Curing obesity, however, is not as easy as simply changing these habits. Obesity has a variety of causes that work together to make someone obese, and not all of these can be changed with extreme ease. For one thing, the habits that have caused this obesity are deeply ingrained (enough to have cause the obesity). Similarly, extreme exercise usually cannot be taken up immediately since the obese person’s body can often not tolerate the stress of such difficult exercise. The most important is not to see these new changes as a “diet”, but as parts of the obese person’s lifestyle that will have to be changed, not merely adopted temporarily.

1. Learn to cook (well!)

Often an obese person begins weight gain with poor eating habits, whether it be over consumption of food or consumption of food that has poor nutritional value. This is often a result of the obese person either never having been taught good eating habits, or of having little inclination or time to cook healthier food. Many obese people are under the idea that healthy food tastes “healthy” and, thus, is not particularly good, or that it takes a great deal of time to cook. In fact, healthy, delicious food can be exquisitely simple to make, and incredibly fulfilling. If you are obese and are looking for a way to eat better, do a little research to discover how to make better food. Get a subscription to a healthy magazine with simple recipes, or take a cooking class that teaches better cooking. For someone who is obese and eats out frequently, eating out less frequently can greatly help reduce obesity by reducing caloric intake.

2. Take up exercise gradually

If you are obese, you know that exercise can be sometimes be so difficult as to seem almost impossible. However, know that you can incorporate exercise into your daily life so as to ease into it gradually. Look at your daily life. Are there places that you could add exercise without disrupting your life? Do you often take the elevator instead of the stairs, or e-mail coworkers when you could just as easily walk over to them? Even adding in these small amounts of exercise can help you reduce obesity if they are added in where you didn’t normally have exercise.

3. Take up activities with multiple people

If you’re trying to reduce obesity and you have a little extra time, try joining into an active activity in your community. If you become involved with a group of walkers, not only will you get exercise and be motivated to keep it up, but you’ll have a support group and perhaps even have fun in the process of reducing obesity.

4. Don’t be ashamed of your fight to reduce obesity

Don’t be embarrassed by the fact that you’re obese and, more importantly, that you’re trying to get healthy. If you’re serious about it, share your small victories with your family and friends. If they can see that you’re serious about reducing your obesity, you might be surprised with the small ways that they can offer support and help.

Genetics

Obesity causes cannot be accurately pinpointed in every person because obesity causes are usually widely varied and high in number. That said, some obesity causes are more prevalent than others. The most common obesity causes are given below in general terms, though obesity can be caused by a mix of any of these factors, along with any number of other causes which are best diagnosed by a doctor or nutritionist.

1. Genetics

Genetics are frequently listed as obesity causes, though the full extent of the genetic disposition is not often entirely recognized. There are some genetic disorders that cause obesity just from the body’s tendency to keep fat, however genetic disorders can also factor in a number of other ways. For instance, genetic disorders affecting thyroid function or leptin performance can both have drastic effects on weight. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describe how genetics are shown to have a higher influence in obesity factors than ever before. At the same time, however, studies that show the rising rates of obesity in recent years suggest that environmental factors have a fairly large say in obesity. The CDC makes a point of recommending that even people who have a high genetic disposition to obesity ought to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.

2. Diet

Diet changes in the last several decades have been shown to be a major factor in obesity causes. Over the past decades, American food has, as a trend, become saltier, fattier, and more processed. Moreover, links between obesity and food can be shown in people who eat processed foods more often than fresh food, and those who snack on processed foods over fresh ones. Further, far more people eat out at restaurants than ever before in American history, which contributes heavily to obesity levels. Much of our American food is extremely high in calories and fat and a diet high in this food tends to have fewer fresh vegetables and fruits, and far more proteins and fats. Furthermore, studies show that most Americans have either enough or too many proteins in their diet, in comparison to a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as fibers and dairy.

3. Lifestyle/Environment

Lifestyle and, in particular, amount of exercise are great contributing obesity causes. Getting exercise is vital to preventing obesity in anyone, and a failure to get exercise can be extremely problematic. Furthermore, one’s environment and one’s acquaintances can also be major obesity causes. Having friends and family who practice many of the major obesity causes, such as poor eating and low exercise levels, can help contribute to a person’s obesity by providing a social environment that is not conducive to being thin.