How does obesity occur? The reasons are complex. Despite
popular opinion, morbid obesity is not purely the result of eating too
much. According to recent studies, it has been found that cases of
morbid obesity are often rooted in genetic causes. If this holds true
in an individual’s case, then dieting and exercise will have limited
effects on the problem.
Scientific research in to the causes and cure for morbid
obesity continues to be conducted all over the world. But until we gain
a firmer grasp on all the implications of the disease, it is something
that patients simply have to deal with and work on, oftentimes for
their entire lives. Medical science has come up with numerous
interventions, including surgery, but these are not cures for obesity –
rather they provide relief for the physical strain and consequences
that come from being excessively overweight.
We do not know what extreme obesity is caused by.
Instead of there being one cause, it usually comes about as the result
of several different factors, including diet, environment, genetics,
heredity, and metabolism. Hypothyroidism and steroid intake are two
medical conditions that might result in excessive weight gain or
obesity.
Children whose parents are obese have a much greater
chance of becoming obese themselves. Perhaps this has to do with
genetic factors, but more often than not, it has to do with the
family’s sedentary lifestyle and eating habits. If parents do not take
proper care of themselves, then their children can be born obese.
There are additional, environmental, factors that cause
and maintain obesity.
