Obesity seems to have affected a large population owing to poor lifestyle choices and a sedentary lifestyle. And the reasons affecting it sometimes go beyond mere self-control. Here are a few reasons why obesity is not a choice:
6 Reasons Why Obesity (Overweight) Is Not a Choice:
#1 – Genetics and Prenatal Factors:
Health is very important during the early years of life, as it affects your health later on. In fact, a lot can be determined while the fetus is still in the mother’s womb. The diet and lifestyle choices of a mother, matter a great deal and may influence a baby’s future behaviour and body composition.
Several studies show that women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy are more likely to have heavy 3-year-olds. Likewise, children who have parents and grandparents who have been obese are more likely to have obesity than kids with parents and grandparents who are normal in weight.
Furthermore, the genes that you inherit from your parents might determine your susceptibility to weight gain. Though genetics and early life factors are not solely responsible for obesity, they contribute to the problem by predisposing people to gain weight.
#2 – Birth, Infancy and Childhood Habits:
Though the reason is unknown, children born via C-section seem more prone to obesity in the later years of life and this is also true for formula-fed infants, who tend to be heavier than breastfed babies.
This might be because the two groups develop several gut bacteria which can affect fat storage. It is important to note that these factors are generally not made by choice of either the mother or baby yet these seem to be linked to the child’s obesity risk.
Additionally, forming healthy dietary and exercise habits during childhood might be the most valuable prevention against obesity and other lifestyle-related diseases.
If young children develop a taste for healthy food instead of processed junk foods, it helps them maintain normal weight throughout their life.
Also Read: An Ayurvedic Approach To Weight Loss Is The Need Of The Hour
#3 – Medications or Medical Conditions:
Many medical conditions can be treated only via medication. Weight gain is a common side effect of many medications, including diabetes medications, antidepressants, and antipsychotics.
These drugs may increase one’s appetite, reduce metabolism, or even alter the body’s ability to burn fat, increasing the rate of fat storage.
Additionally, several common medical conditions can predispose you to weight gain. A key example of the same is hypothyroidism.
#4 – Powerful Hunger Hormones:
Hunger and uncontrollable eating are not only caused by greediness or lack of willpower.
Hunger is controlled by very powerful hormones and brain chemicals that involve areas of your brain that are responsible for cravings.
These hormones function improperly in many people who have obesity, which alters their eating behaviour causing a strong physiological drive to eat more.
Your brain has a reward centre, which starts secreting dopamine and other feel-good chemicals when you eat. And this is the reason why most people enjoy eating. This system also ensures that you eat enough food to get all the energy and nutrients you need.
#5 – Leptin Resistance:
Leptin is a very important hormone that helps regulate appetite as well as metabolism. It is produced by fat cells and sends a signal to the part of your brain that tells you to stop eating.
Leptin regulates the number of calories you eat and burn, as well as how much fat your body stores. The more fat is contained in fat cells, the more leptin they produce. Hence, people with obesity produce a lot of leptin. However, they also tend to have a condition known as leptin resistance.
Even though your body produces a lot of leptin, your brain does not see or recognize it. When your brain does not receive the leptin signal, it wrongly thinks that it is starving, even if it has more than enough body fat stored. This causes your brain to change physiology and behaviour to regain the fat that it thinks you’re missing.
Also Read: Powerful Ayurvedic Herbs and Their Benefits
#6 – Poor Nutrition Education:
In modern society, most of you are confronted with endless advertisements, health statements, nutrition claims and unhealthy foods. Despite the importance of nutrition, children and adults are not taught how to eat properly.
Teaching children the importance of a healthy diet, as well as proper nutrition, has been shown to help them make better choices later in life.
Nutrition education is very important, especially when it’s about forming the dietary and lifestyle habits that you bring into adulthood.
Ayurveda for Obesity:
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