Whose Fault is Morbid Obesity?

Based on recent findings, 77% of Americans are actively trying to lose weight and 69% claim to be cutting back on the amount of food they consume. Despite these increasing attempts at weight loss, more Americans are overweight than a generation ago. This prompts one to ask the question, whose fault is this, why so many people become morbidly obese (a BMI greater than 30)?

Common Blames and Misconceptions:

* Fast Foods and Obesity

Many of us continue to blame morbid obesity on fast food restaurants such as McDonald, Burger King and the list goes on. Some even blame it on the high fructose corn syrup used as sweetener in our beverages.

* Overeating and Obesity

Majority of Americans continue to hold firmly to the misconception or the assumption that morbid obese individuals simply eat too much.

All the above statements and assumption are only partially true. Although Overeating is often believed to be the major cause of morbid obesity, this is not necessarily the case. If morbid obesity were truly a disorder that is related to a single cause, and greed and overindulgence were the only factors responsible for the accumulation of fat, then the easiest way to permanently reduce obesity, would surely be to cut back on food intake.

Of course, if this was this simple, obesity would soon be eliminated as a major health problem. The fact is, recent studies have confirmed that the causes of obesity are link to lifestyles and genetics.

Lifestyles

Findings revealed that older men and women who maintain active lifestyles suggest that the "normal" pattern of fat in adulthood can be significantly reduced. For both young and middle-aged men who exercised on a regular basic, time spent in physical activity was indirectly related to body fat level.

Surprisingly, no relationship could be established between body fat and caloric intake. This suggests that the greater levels of body fat observed among the active middle-aged men compared to their younger,more active counterparts were as a result of less vigorous training, not greater food intake.

Genetics

Research conducted with a strain of mice that were overweight five times the girth of normal mice has provided evidence to support the belief that some people are genetically "destined" to become overweight. Based on findings, the mutation of a gene called Obese, or simply Ob, allegedly disrupt hormonal signals that regulate the animal's metabolism, fat storage, and appetite, causing energy balance to go towards the accumulation of fat.

Conclusion

Based on all the information provided above, the conclusion simply is, since the causes of obesity are link to genetics and lifestyles, we have to blame either our parents or ourselves for morbid obesity! Unfortunately, we don't get to choose our parents. However, we do have total control over our sedentary lifestyles, and poor eating habits.