Are you at risk for obesity?

Do you have any risk factors for obesity?
You gain weight when you burn fewer calories than the amount you gain through consuming food and beverages. If you continue gaining calories and are not engaging in considerable physical activity, you will inevitably start to gain weight.

According to the mayoclinic, the risk factors for obesity include:

Genetics

The genes we have may play a role in determining the amount of body fat we store, where on our body it is distributed and our metabolism.

Inactivity

The more inactive you are, the fewer calories you will burn and the higher your chances of gaining more weight are.

Poor diet and eating habits

Factors that contribute to weight gain include eating unhealthy and unbalanced meals, eating fatty or sugary foods or beverages laden with high calories (such as those in takeaways), eating large portion sizes, etc.

Family lifestyle

Obesity tends to run through generations as members of the same family may adopt lifestyle habits (such as those of eating) from each other. Think about it … if someone in your family is lazy to engage in exercise – do you let it rub off on you?

Quitting smoking

Some people experience weight gain upon giving up the smoking habit.

This may occur over several months and could result in obesity. But don’t ignore the health benefits of quitting smoking!

Pregnancy

After birth, many women experience difficulty in losing the weight that they had gained during pregnancy. This weight gain may contribute to the development of obesity in women.

Lack of sleep

Insufficient sleep at night can affect our hormones and could contribute to weight gain. To find out how sleep can affect your weight click here.

Medical conditions and medications

Some medical conditions may cause weight gain. In addition, a side effect of some medications is weight gain. Check with your doctor about side effects when medications are prescribed.

Age

Obesity can occur at any age but as you age your risk of obesity increases due to hormonal changes, adopting a more sedentary lifestyle and changes in your metabolism.

Weight gain

A low metabolism is unlikely to cause obesity, as is having low thyroid function.

Having any or many of the above risk factors does not mean that you will definitely be obese but remember that it is essential to get some form of exercise and consume a healthy diet in order to prevent weight gain.

1. Prev:How to fight off cellulite
2. Next:Fad diets not good for permanent weight loss