What causes obesity?
Obesity happens when you take in more calories than your body needs over a long period of time. A variety of factors can lead to obesity. For many people, dieting and willpower alone are not enough to control weight. Obesity may be caused by one or more of the following:
Diet. You are at a higher risk of obesity if your diet includes a lot of fast foods, packaged snacks, and sugary soft drinks.
Lack of exercise. If you don't get enough physical activity to burn off what you eat, you will likely gain weight.
Family history. You're more likely to become obese if close family members have obesity.
Aging. As you get older, your muscle tissue decreases and your metabolism slows down. This can lead to weight gain, and eventually obesity, even if you stayed at a healthy weight when you were younger.
Pregnancy. It's normal and healthy to gain weight during pregnancy. But if you don't lose the weight after pregnancy, it can cause long-term weight problems.
Menopause. Many women gain weight after menopause. This may be caused by changes in hormone levels and/or reduction in daily activities.
Biology. Our bodies have systems that help keep our weight at a healthy level. In some people, this system doesn't work right. This makes it especially hard to lose weight.
Hormonal disorders. Certain disorders cause your body to make too much or too little of important hormones. This may lead to weight gain, and sometimes obesity.
