Obesity Causes - All Information

How obesity arises

The body's energy balance is balanced when the amount of calories consumed corresponds to the calories consumed. Then the body weight remains constant. If more energy is consumed than it is used, the body stores the excess energy in the form of fat. The body can store almost unlimited amounts of fat. The energy stores help the body to have sufficient energy available for different stressful situations and times of need. However, if the energy balance is positive over a longer period of time, obesity results.

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In addition to the basal metabolic rate, the body consumes energy from its stores through exercise. The following applies: The more strenuous (more intense) the physical activity and the more performance the body performs, the higher the overall energy consumption. Every movement thus helps to keep the energy balance in balance and the body weight constant.

Note For the energy balance, it makes no difference whether you burn more fat or more carbohydrates through exercise. Only the calorie consumption is decisive.

Overeating & lack of exercise

Incorrect eating habits and too little exercise mean that the body is supplied with more calories than it consumes. If the energy balance is positive over a longer period of time (months, years), obesity arises. The main triggers for a positive energy balance include a lack of exercise and inappropriate diet. There can be many reasons for this, for example lifestyle, social circumstances, psychological causes, etc.

Body weight that is too high can only be reduced through a negative energy balance. This means: the body has to consume more calories than it is supplied over a longer period of time. Ultimately, this is only possible through changed eating habits and more physical activity.

Tip The energy balance can easily be checked at regular intervals with the bathroom scales, e.g. once a week. If your body weight remains constant, your energy balance is balanced.

Increase decrease

Eating habits and exercise behavior have a decisive influence on the energy balance. Even small changes in the energy balance can cause significant weight gain over a longer period of time.

Example: A person with a balanced energy balance starts to drink a cup of coffee three times a day with two sugar cubes each. A lump of sugar contains around 16 kcal, which means an additional energy supply of 96 kcal per day. The energy balance surplus is 9,500 kcal after 99 days, which are stored as around one kilogram of depot fat. Calculated over a year this results in a weight gain of more than three kilograms.

The same increase in energy balance or body weight would result if a person stopped walking around 20 to 30 minutes a day. In order to break down one kilogram of depot fat (around 9,500 kcal), a person who weighs 95 kilograms with running equipment would have to run around 100 kilometers (provided that the calorie intake remains the same). The period does not matter; E.g. divided over five weeks, results in 20 kilometers per week.

Note The net energy expenditure (energy consumption during the activity without basal metabolic rate) while running can be estimated at 1 kcal / kg / km.

Tip You can find health-oriented exercise programs for beginners at www.fitfueroesterreich.at.