medical advice
is one of the great
mysteries of the uni-
verse that some of us
store food as unwant-
ed fat in those double
chins, ‘man boobs’
and ‘love handles’ and on our
thighs and bums, while others
seem to live a far unhealthier
lifestyle and eat as much as they
like without gaining a gram.
Most people think obesity
is caused by consuming more
calories than your body needs,
or by being a total sloth – obese
folk just need to stop being so
greedy and get exercising, right?
Wrong. On both counts.The real reasons
some of us tend
to become obese:IT’S HEREDITARY
Families share genetic charac-
teristics that may lead to obesity.
Obese babies born to obese
mothers have a much greater
chance of becoming obese adults.
Fat distribution is also geneti-
cally determined to some extent.
Are you an apple or a pear?
Chances are you’ll see similar fat
distribution in other members of
your family too. Rare chromo-somal abnormalities like Prader-
Willi syndrome, which causes
constant hunger, can also be
responsible for morbid obesity.
But there are many other
factors besides our genes that
cause obesity, such as:THE TYPES OF
FOOD WE EAT
This is probably the most com-
mon cause of obesity currently.
Since the ’50s we’ve been the
victims of wrong advice: the
misinterpretation of research
data led to the idea that obesity
and heart disease are caused
by eating too much fat and too
many calories in general. So, in
an effort to reverse the obesity
epidemic, the World Health Or-
ganisation encouraged us to limit
our calorie intake and the fats
in our diet. But this strategy has
failed miserably – levels of obesity
are still increasing globally.
Evidence is mounting that
the biggest cause of obesity –
in wealthy and poverty-stricken
countries alike – is the consump-
tion of large amounts of refined
carbohydrates and sugars
(especially fructose) in our daily
diets. This leads to insulin re-
sistance and, in turn, metabolicsyndrome, the markers of which
include obesity, hypertension,
type 2 diabetes and unhealthy
blood lipid profiles.IT’S HORMONAL
Although insulin is the primary
hormone responsible for obesity,
other hormones and hormonal
changes can also contribute to
the increase in the amount of fat
in our fat cells. A condition like
hypothyroidism, for example,
causes weight gain, but is treat-
able with medication.
Hormonal changes at midlife
cause weight gain – mainly around
the waist.LIFESTYLE
FACTORS
Stress levels sky-high? When
you’re stressed, your body
produces cortisol and adrenaline,
which stop the breakdown of fat.
Sleeping too little, or poorly?
Complete couch potato? These
can also cause weight gain.MEDICATION
Certain medications cause
weight gain in some. These in-
clude insulin for type 2 diabetics,
antipsychotics, antidepressants
and some beta-blockers.THE LAST WORD
There are many other possible
causes of obesity, and research-
ers are working on unravelling
the mystery. Many studies are
looking at the role of the micro-
biota – the bacteria in the large
intestine – in controlling weight.
But in the meantime, let’s fight
obesity by addressing the issues
we are able to. That starts with
making positive lifestyle changes
and following a low-carb, healthy
fat eating plan. QOBESITY?
WHAT CAUSES
WHAT MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE ABOUT
OBESITY IS WRONG. LET’S START TO
FIGHT THAT WITH THE FACTS.
BY DR SCHOONBEEPHOTOGRAPH: GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES