8 Causes of Obesity ...

Not getting enough sleep is a big cause of obesity.When you don't get enough sleep, your body has too little leptin which is involved in the regulation of appetite, metabolism and calorie burning. It is basically the chemical that lets your brain know that you're full. Your body will also have too much ghrelin which basically has the opposite function of telling your brain when you need to eat and when it should stop burning calories. Result? Weight gain ofcourse. Therefore, I recommend you get enough sleep each night to avoid obesity. Besides, getting your proper amount of sleep will make you feel better and more active during the day. And if you can't seem to cure insomnia, maybe you need to visit your doctor.

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Ofcourse you know that body weight to a large extent is controlled by hormones. Pollution can cause obesity. Why is this? Mainly because the pollutants and chemicals that are in the air and in the foods we eat mess around with the hormones in your body causing an increase in weight. And while, we can't totally avoid pollution, you can definitely do your bit to restore hormonal health.

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I know this seems like an absurd cause of weight gain. But let me explain why and how this works. Under normal circumstances your body either uses up energy to bring your body temperature up in cold weather or we naturally become less hungry in warm weather. Also shivering in cold weather and sweating in warm weather helps burns calories. By using an airconditioner/heater, you're not allowing your body to do either since the temperature gets naturally regulated.

An unfortunate side-effect of medicines can be weight gain. We are talking about medication such as those for diabetes, some antidepressants, blood pressure medicines and steroid hormones. There are contraceptives that cause you to gain weight as well. Of course, certain medications, you can't go without and you should not try to either.

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Believe it or not, ethnicity also plays a major role in determining whether or not a person will become obese. Studies show that Asians have a lower risk of become obese as compared to Hispanic, White and African Americans. But the fact of the matter is, even if your genes and ethnicity are against you, at the end of the day, only you can decide whether you will fall prey to it or make changes to prevent obesity.

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I also read that the older you are when you give birth, the higher the risk of becoming obese. The reason why Americans are becoming more and more obese could be because women are starting to become mothers later in their life. I personally think the facts sound right.

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Needless to say, the family environment can to a great extent decide whether or not your children will grow to be obese. And I'm not talking genes. Your children will be affected by your lifestyle and more importantly your eating habits. So, take a moment to review the kind of example you are setting for your children. Do they understand the importance of healthy eating and exercise or would they rather spend hours eating buttered popcorn and fried chicken in front of the TV. It's never too late to make small changes to improve your life. You never know, you might actually be helping your child's future.

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Obesity is most definitely linked to your genes. So if your parents are obese, chances are you may tend to be overweight as well. And while that genetic component may make it harder for you to lose weight, it still doesn't mean that nothing can be done about it. It's easy to use it as an excuse and say "But, it's in my genes!". But you'll find that with a genuine effort to stay motivated on a diet and plenty of exercise, the obesity gene will be as good as nonexistent!

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And there you have it, 8 reasons why you may be suffering from obesity. But like I always say, where there is a will, there is a way. Don't let your weight get the better of your will. Even small changes can bring big results. So get up and do something about it! Do you know of a lesser known cause of obesity? Please feel free to share them with me...

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