The Causes of Obesity in America

The main causes of obesity in America are poor lifestyle choices, impacted by two main factors: low quality diet and lack of physical activity. Combined, these two factors have created a huge obesity problem in America, particularly in terms of childhood obesity.

Obesity
Obesity is a condition where too much excess fat is carried on the body. If your weight is 20 percent over what is considered an ideal healthy weight for your frame and height, you may be considered obese. If your body mass index is 30 to 40, you may be considered obese. If your weight is 50 percent over your ideal healthy weight or your body mass index is over 40, you may be considered morbidly obese.

Main Causes of Obesity
Obesity can be caused by many different factors. People can have a genetic predisposition towards obesity, and can literally just be born big. However, obesity can also be a result of poor lifestyle choices. It's these poor lifestyle choices that have led to the obesity epidemic in America.

• Poor diet is a huge part of the obesity problem in America. These days, the average American does not eat the needed daily supply of healthy food. Instead, fresh produce and wholesome fiber are replaced by greasy hamburgers and pizza.  American fast food tends to be heavily processed and high in fat. It's this fast food addiction that is really aggravating the obesity problem.

• Lack of physical activity is a vital aspect to the obesity problem in America. Americans simply live a much more sedentary lifestyle than they used to. Instead of walking to the store or playing catch with the kids, we drive to the store and play catch on a video game. Even the little activities of daily life have become more sedentary. Instead of walking across the room to turn a light off, we can clap to make it shut off.

The combined results of a poor diet and lack of physical activity means that many Americans simply ingest many more calories in a day than they burn off. The natural result of this imbalance is weight gain. Over an extended period of time, this weight gain continues, resulting in an obese state.

Obesity Prevention
The best way to prevent obesity is to participate in a healthy and active lifestyle. Start yourself on a healthy diet by cutting down on fats and increasing fiber intake. You should also eat plenty of whole and fresh foods, as opposed to processed and preserved ones. Make sure you get enough physical activity in each day that you burn up most, or all, of your daily caloric intake.