What are the health risks of obesity? Why are so many Americans obese?
"Roughly two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. About 16 percent of children between 6 and 19 are carrying around too many pounds, according to the National Institutes of Health."
Obesity increases health risks for heart disease and many cancers.
Most Obesity experts believe that the reason usually isn't because of lack of willpower but because obesity is triggered in "food-rich, activity scare environments" in people who are more genetically disposed to weight gain. They strongly believe that sluggish metabolisms and out-of-control hormones, rather than sloth and gluttony, spurs the inclination to gain weight and keep it on. Even though only a small percentage of obese people are fat solely because of a sluggish metabolic gene (Schwartz)when this genetic susceptibility to weight gain is paired with an environment in which little physical effort is required to get to an abundance of cheap food, we get a "recipe for rising obesity rates".
"Experts say the answer is all around us -- in the cars we insist on using for every outing, in the giant mugs we fill with whipped-cream topped mochas, in a culture where everybody seems to be always rushing around and yet sitting still most of the time." and we live in an environment that encourages doing just that.
Weight gain comes down to this, taking in more calories than you are able to burn off.
http://www.seattlepi.com/health/189899_obesity08.html
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