In today's technology dominated world there is an increase in the intake of fast foods, and decrease in physical activity of the human body. The result is irregular shapes to the human body due to the increase in weight caused due to the accumulation of fats in various parts of the body. Obesity can be defined as a disease which is caused due to excess accumulation of fats in the body. Obesity may be the cause for other diseases in the human body as it drastically reduces physical, emotional and mental activities. A person suffering from Obesity has the following symptoms.

1. Increases in intake of food which only adds to the Obesity problem.
2. Increased Laziness due to decrease in physical efficiency of the body.
3. Decrease in self esteem, due to increased frustration caused by emotional and mental strain.
4. There are known instances of Obesity leading to obstruction to breathing process.
5. Obesity is one of the main causes for increase in bad cholesterols in the human body. This leads to heart problems, blood pressure problems and diabetes.

On seeing the problems that Obesity can cause, it is very important for humans to spend some time which focus on containing this disease. The following is a list of some of the direct causes which eventually lead to Obesity.

1. Excess consumption of fat rich, sugar rich and protein rich foods in the diet.
2. Frequent consumption of foods at irregular times. Foods include milk, butter, cheese, oily food, non-vegetarian food, tea, coffee, bakery products, rice, ice-creams etc.
3. Reduced fiber rich foods, vegetables, fruits and raw foods in the diet.
4. Lack of or reduced physical exercise like walking, jogging, swimming etc. to the human body. This is a result of the cosmopolitan life style which includes use of machines (bikes, cars, electronic house hold machines etc.) to do our work.
5. Excess household entertainment in the form of watching TV, movies.
6. Tech savvy work cultures that include sitting long hours in front of computer machines.
7. Excessive consumption of frozen foods which are stored in fridges.
8. Obesity can be hereditary which is unfortunate and increases the responsibility of  each and every individual to ensure the future generations don’t suffer from this disease.
9. Imbalance in emotional and mental activities can result in Obesity.
10. Medical Problems can lead to Obesity. For instance; digestive disorders; problems in nervous system; Improper functioning of Endocrine gland system; can result in Obesity. These problems are further discussed in the sections below.

This increase in weight in the human body is a gradual process. The body weight doesn't increase suddenly. It is easy to overlook the gradual increase in body weight, as this increase is not noticeable initially. But beyond certain limits this overweight may lead to various diseases like Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart problems as discussed. So it is important to bear in mind and control the body weight always.  For our daily work we require calories, which are generated from the food we intake. When the intake of calories is more than what is consumed by the human body, these calories are accumulated in the form of fats. The increase in fats in the body reduces body movements, thereby increasing body weight.  Hence controlling food habits reduces the fat accumulation in the body. A Balanced Diet is therefore suggested by most of the doctors to ensure good health.

Body Weight can increase because of digestive problems. Useful part of the food is absorbed in blood during the digestion. If there are some problems in this process then it may result in accumulation of fats and Obesity. In this case, if the digestive problems are cured then probability of obesity reduces.

Endocrine glands control various activities of body. A problem in the functioning of endocrine glands results in various physical problems. Obesity can be caused due to improper functioning of endocrine gland system. There is strain on endocrine gland system during childbirth, menopause in case of women. So if proper care is not taken during these transformations, it may result in Obesity.

Sometimes because of problems in nervous system, Obesity increases and in that case the nervous system problem is to be treated to cure Obesity. Body and mind have very complex relations between them, because of mental and emotional imbalance, endocrine gland systems is affected, which may result in Obesity.

The following list gives various ways to prevent and control Obesity.

1. Maintain fixed diet timings: The lunch and dinner timings should be fixed.
2. Giving sufficient gap between consecutive meals in our diet. The time difference 2 meals should be 4 hours.
3. Regular physical exercise like walking, jogging, swimming etc
4. Low fat meal, with fiber rich vegetables and fruits should be taken.
5. Reduce foods containing fats and high calories, sweets, milk, butter, cheese etc in meals.
6. Maintain Good sleeping habits: Do not sleep for more than 6 to 7 hours at a stretch.
7. Try to stop addictions such as smoking, drinking alcohol and intake of drugs.
8. Taking help from dietician, one should fix the daily diet schedule.
9. If possible take massage and steam bath regularly.
10. Try and include, Pranayama and Yoga in the daily schedule. Along with Yogasanas Sun salutation is very effective for obesity reduction.

The list provided above is simple and doable in our daily routines by all of us. For those of us who are not obese, let us not forget that “Prevention is better than Cure” which means that Obesity has to be prevented not cured after it is got. Let us start now and dedicate this to Good health for us and our future generations. For those who are Obese, get started immediately. Always remember that little drops of water make a mighty ocean. If we start now in a small way like the little drops, we will see the results that are as mighty as an ocean. All the Best!

• Written by Deepti.
• In category Personal Care.
• 14 years ago.

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