When the causes of obesity are examined in many obesity patients, it is generally determined that more than one factor comes together to cause obesity. Because obesity is not a complex disease that develops due to a single cause, but a complex disease that triggers many serious diseases that are affected by multiple factors.
The problem of obesity, which begins to emerge at a very young age, greatly reduces the quality of life. Obesity, which is generally defined as excessive fat accumulation in the body and measured by dividing weight and height by the square in meters, is stated as a body mass index value above 30.
Causes that Trigger Obesity
- Genetic Factors: People with a family history of obesity, especially those whose parents have a history of obesity, have a higher risk of developing this disease than other people. There are two types of fats in our body: brown and white fats. While brown fats burn calories, white fats are the fat group that keeps the body warm. In the obesity statement made by the Massachusettes Institute of Technology; it is claimed that the fat cells that come with genes belong to the white fat group.
- Overnutrition, heavy carbohydrate consumption: Frequent and excessive consumption of foods high in fat is among the causes of obesity. Foods high in fat and sugar trigger weight gain because they are high in calories. In addition, improper nutrition and excessive consumption of fast food products are also among the causes of obesity… Carbohydrates increase the rate of sugar in the blood and insulin release. Excess insulin release causes an increase in fat cells. It is known that unconscious diets are also among the factors that trigger obesity.
- Inactivity: The fact that the calories taken in are higher than the calories burned is one of the most common problems among the causes of obesity. Inactivity prevents calorie burning. For this reason, an increase in weight becomes inevitable.
- Psychological reasons: Some people may change their diet according to their emotional state. For example, emotional states such as unhappiness, stress, sadness, anger and boredom can lead to excessive food consumption. These situations can also cause excessive weight gain.
- Medications: Antidepressants, blood pressure medications, hormone and diabetes medications can also increase appetite.
- Diseases that cause obesity: Diseases such as insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome, thyroid diseases, pituitary gland diseases and sleep apnea are often among the causes of obesity.
Rates of Obesity in Turkey and the World
The incidence of obesity is increasing day by day in countries around the world and in our country. The rates in the latest studies conducted by the Ministry of Health are at a frightening level. According to research conducted in our country; obesity, which has reached 27% in men, has exceeded 44% in women. According to these rates, two out of every 5 women in Turkey suffer from obesity. In children; obesity rate has reached 10%.
According to the latest data from 2015, obesity has reached a very frightening dimension. According to the data; 700 million people suffer from obesity, while 2.3 billion people are overweight.
Diseases Caused by Obesity
According to various sources; it is emphasized that more than 1 million deaths occur in Europe every year due to obesity. In addition, many serious health problems such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, heart diseases, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea and musculoskeletal diseases are among the diseases triggered by obesity.
What Should We Do to Prevent Obesity?
Active life: Many people spend most of the day sedentary, either because of their occupation or because of ongoing habits. However, one of the most basic rules to be followed in order to spend the calories taken during the day and thus prevent obesity is to lead an active life. For example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, taking a walk, making a habit of allocating a small period of time for exercises that can be done at home in cases where time cannot be allocated for gyms can be the key to an active and healthy life.
Healthy eating: Changing unhealthy and wrong eating habits, which is one of the biggest causes of obesity, is one of the golden rules to prevent obesity. The key point of a healthy eating habit is to consume meat, fish, vegetables, legumes and cereals to get the 2000 calories a person needs daily, to prefer healthy fats and to avoid fast food.
Weight control: If you monitor and control your weight regularly, you can detect weight gain more quickly and control it before it progresses too far.
Regular general examination: Having a check-up or general examination at least once a year will be effective in the early diagnosis and intervention of many diseases, not only obesity.
Drinking enough water: Drinking enough water during the day will help to cleanse the body of toxins, as well as beautify the skin and meet the body’s need for moisture.
Set an Example for Your Children
In order to prevent children’s susceptibility to obesity, first of all, the daily routines in the family where the child grows up should be regulated and brought to a healthy level. Increasing the quality of life in the family plays an active role in the child making these rules a habit. Since every behavior sets a good or bad example for children, you should start with yourself. In addition, avoid rewarding or punishing the child with food. Children should be prevented from being sedentary and directed to activities they like.
