What’s the obesity breakdown this week? Fighting obesity is a daily challenge. In this breakdown, we’ll address some of the leading causes of obesity.
Sometimes people automatically assume that obesity is because of laziness or not working out enough… but that’s not necessarily true. There are MANY reasons why someone can become overweight and usually it has to do with your dna.
Certain people are simply predisposed to gaining weight. So although we can eat the same foods my body might look different from yours because of our genetic makeup. Here are some more reasons why this may be:
- Genetics
You may have a gene that makes it easier for you to gain weight or harder for you to lose weight and that’s okay! Obesity has a strong genetic component. Children of obese parents are much more likely to become obese than children of lean parents. You just have to talk to your doctor to determine what the best plan of action for you is!
- Engineered Junk Food
We hear about it all the time…but it’s still a problem. The foods that are in the grocery stores are filled with processed and unhealthy ingredients.
We’ve become so accustomed to it and disregard the seriousness of it at the simplest times. Think about when you go to Wendy’s or McDonald’s and order a small cup of sweet tea…
When you order from McDonald’s they actually give you the option to buy a large for the same price of a small. This may seem like a generous thing BUT that amount of sugar and drink is excessive. The size of the small is still much larger than the size of an actual cup. We shouldn’t be drinking that much.
It’s small actions like this that push us to consume more unhealthy food at higher rates.
- Food Availability
How often do you drive by a fast food restaurant specifically McDonald’s, Wendy’s, or a Burger King? Personally, I drive by multiple everyday. It’s almost like they’re on every street now.
This is because not only is fast (unhealthy and processed) food cheaper to buy but it’s cheaper to make. This seems to ‘benefits’ the customer and the company but in the end we all lose because more people become and children obese because of this.
Healthy options are not as available everywhere and they’re more expensive. So what does this mean for poorer communities? They tend to have less options available. This is a problem and it’s up to legislators to make more healthy options available for everyone.
Check out this article from healthline to learn more about the leading causes of obesity!
Remember to consult your physician to see how you can manage your weight and how COVID-19 may impact you.
This was the obesity break this week!
