Causes - ODAOPAAT

Nearly two out of three adult Americans, 61 percent, are overweight or obese.
Each year, Americans spend more than $33 billion on weight-reduction programs and diet foods and beverages, most of which fail to provide long-term results. Losing weight and keeping it off can be extremely difficult. Most people who lose weight only gain it back again and more. Permanent weight loss may seem elusive, but is by no means impossible. It is a daily struggle that you have to want to do. The best strategy to keep people's weight stable is to eat a healthy diet, drinking 8 glasses of water, watch calories and fat, and make exercise a part of daily life. Americans are good at losing weight, but not so good with keeping it off. It seems to be difficult for people to reduce their calorie intake. So when they get used to eating a certain level, it is hard to permanently reduce it. I believe drinking water helps with the full factor. If you serve yourself with a smaller plate (since the plate sizes in America have grown) your eyes see that the plate is full and it plays a trick on your mind, even your stomach.

Here are ways to control your weight.
Get at least 30 minutes of activity on most days. To prevent weight gain, 60 minutes a day may be necessary. (Which is possible if you walk at your lunch hour just around the block. Get a support team if you can together at your work or get an IPOD.)
Check food labels for the number of calories, fat, fiber and for serving size. (I recommend Weight Watchers).
Wear a pedometer. Try to gradually increase the number of steps you take in a day. The average American does about 5,000 steps a day. Try for at least 10,000. (But remember if you are doing your normal walking around at work that really may not count as your 10,000 steps, you need to go beyond the steps then. A constant brisk pace of 15 - 30 minutes helps)
Write down what you eat each day, and look up the number of calories, fat and fiber. This can help you decide what you can cut.
Find excuses for moving more, such as parking farther away or walking to a co-worker's cubicle instead of e-mailing. (I have always parked my car far away since I don't want door dings, and it does help with getting those 10,000 steps in)
Gone is the simplistic notion that obese people don't have willpower or they are too lazy to exercise.

Genes
Obesity tends to run in families, suggesting a genetic link. Yet families also share common dietary, physical exercise, attitude and lifestyle habits that may also contribute to obesity. Separating these from purely genetic factors is not an easy statistical or diagnostic task.Parental behavioral patterns concerning shopping, cooking, eating and exercise, have an important influence on a child's energy balance and ultimately their weight. Thus family diet and lifestyle are important contributory causes to modern child obesity, especially at a time of rising affluence. Since obese children and adolescents frequently grow up to become obese adults, it's clear that family influence also extends to adult obesity. During times when food was scarce, this was a real advantage. But now that food is available 24/7 in most industrialized countries, an efficient metabolism that once ensured our survival now works to our disadvantage. People today may be gaining weight because of unhealthy food choices (like fast food) and family habits (like eating in front of the television instead of around a table). High-calorie, low-nutrient snacks and beverages, bigger portions of food, and less-active lifestyles are all contributing to the obesity epidemic.
Sometimes people turn to food for emotional reasons, such as when they feel upset, anxious, sad, stressed out, or even bored. When this happens, they often eat more than they need.

Eating Too Many High-Fat or Refined Sugary Foods
Hot dogs, Big Macs, french fries, macaroni and cheese, nachos, potato chips, ice cream -- all these high-fat American favorites are cheap, accessible and delicious. Is it any surprise that fatty foods are contributing to the soaring obesity rates in this country?
The type of food eaten may also play an important role in the rise of obesity. Researchers continue to discover more metabolic and digestive disorders resulting from overconsumption of trans-fats and refined white flour carbohydrates, combined with low fiber intake. These eating patterns are known to interfere with food and energy metabolism in the body, and cause excessive fat storage. Associated health disorders include insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes as well as obesity. Incidence of these "modern" diseases is increasing worldwide.

Lifestyle (Reduced Energy Expenditure - A Possible Root Cause)
If you spend most of your time at a desk or on a sofa, your risk for obesity is higher. Likewise, the risk is higher for people whose fat intake makes up more than 30 percent of their daily calories. Studies show people who get 20 to 30 minutes of exercise most days are less likely to be obese. Your obesity risk is even lower if you combine an active lifestyle with a low-calorie diet.

People who eat more calories need to burn more calories, otherwise their calorie surplus is stored as fat. For example, if we eat 100 more food calories a day than we burn, we gain about 1 pound in a month. That’s about 10 pounds in a year. Over two decades this energy surplus causes a weight gain of 200 pounds!
Assessing the contribution of lack of exercise to obesity is hampered by lack of research. According to existing surveys, only 20 percent of the population are frequent exercisers. In addition, only a small minority of children (1 in 5) regularly participate in after-school sports or extra-curricular physical activity. Since 1990, among adults there has been a per capita decline of 15 percent in frequent exercise activity (100+ days per year in any one activity). Among teenagers and adolescents aged 12-17, the plunge is 41 percent.

Metabolic rate
This term refers to the rate at which your body uses food. If your metabolism tends to be slow, you are more likely to store excess calories in the form of fat. A slow metabolism means you probably need to work harder at losing weight (which this is ME). However, your efforts may ultimately increase your metabolic rate. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest (remember muscle does not weigh more that fat, a pound is a pound). So reducing fat and building muscle through weight-bearing exercise can help you burn calories more efficiently.
Activity Level
GenderAge (years)SedentaryModerately ActiveActive
Calories

Psychology
Some people overeat (binge) when they feel stressed out or depressed. Research shows that about 30 percent of obese people are binge eaters. Binge eating temporarily relieves the stress of negative feelings. Unfortunately, binging is usually followed by feelings of guilt, shame, disgust and depression.