The Main Causes of Obesity
and Overweight

The most important causes of obesity are cultural influences on eating habits and physical activity.

In fact 99.9% of people deal with the consequences instead of the causes of obesity.

If we do not find what causes obesity (and deal with it), the benefits of losing weight will only be temporary or may not appear at all.

For example, if obesity is caused by poor eating habits, then those habits have to be changed.

If the causes are psychological factors, we must find out what is it that drives us to relentlessly harm ourselves.

Food has a psychological significance in many traditions and rituals.

Many people use food as a reward or a punishment.

Some of us find food a cure for stress, and to some food is a substitute for lack of confidence.

Some of us feed our negative mood with candy.

Obesity is a behavior learned from parents.

Approximately 80 percent of obese people have obesity in the family. Although it may seem that this is due to genetics, it is a behavior learned from parents and identification with parents who treat anxiety with food.

Some of the Basic Causes of Obesity and Overweight

• Genetic factors
  
  
• Environmental and social factors
  
  
• Slow metabolism and indigestion
  
  
• Improper feeding habits
  
  
• Insufficient or no physical activity
  
  
• Excessively large meal portions
  
  
• Fast food consumption
  
  
• Skipping meals, especially breakfast
  
  
• Long hours without food ("hunger and overeating")
  
  
• Not enough fruit and vegetables in the daily diet
  
  
• Insufficient fluid intake (water)
  
  
• Uncontrolled intake of sugar and sweets
  
  
• Eating of calorie-rich and nutritionally poor food (snacks, candy)
  
  
• Drinking too many alcoholic, carbonated or sweetened beverages
  
  
• Medications that cause weight gain (various anti-depressants)
  
  
• Retained excessive weight gained during pregnancy (increasing with age)

Anyway, what we have to do first is come to terms with the fact that there is no losing weight without regular physical activity and significant changes of eating habits.

However, there is one mitigating fact:

The Mediterranean diet is one that is very tasty and very effective for weight loss.

If you combine it with physical activities, kilograms (or pounds) will virtually "melt away" on their own while you enjoy healthy and tasty food.

But it is YOUR call.

And remember; if there is a will, there is a way.

Return from Causes of Obesity page to Research on Obesity

Return to Mediterranean Diet Home Page

ShareFacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsApp