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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffAlthough there are genetic and hormonal influences on body weight, obesity occurs when you take in more calories than you burn through exercise and normal daily activities. Your body stores these excess calories as fat. Obesity usually results from a combination of causes and contributing factors, including:
- Inactivity. If you're not very active, you don't burn as many calories. With a sedentary lifestyle, you can easily take in more calories every day than you use through exercise and normal daily activities.
- Unhealthy diet and eating habits. Having a diet that's high in calories, eating fast food, skipping breakfast, eating most of your calories at night, drinking high-calorie beverages and eating oversized portions all contribute to weight gain.
- Pregnancy. During pregnancy, a woman's weight necessarily increases. Some women find this weight difficult to lose after the baby is born. This weight gain may contribute to the development of obesity in women.
- Lack of sleep. Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night can cause changes in hormones that increase your appetite. You may also crave foods high in calories and carbohydrates, which can contribute to weight gain.
- Certain medications. Some medications can lead to weight gain if you don't compensate through diet or activity. These medications include some antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, diabetes medications, antipsychotic medications, steroids and beta blockers.
- Medical problems. Obesity can sometimes be traced to a medical cause, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, and other diseases and conditions. Some medical problems, such as arthritis, can lead to decreased activity, which may result in weight gain. A low metabolism is unlikely to cause obesity, as is having low thyroid function.
References
- Defining overweight and obesity. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/defining.html. Accessed March 14, 2012.
- Bope ET, et al. Conn's Current Therapy. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0986-5..C2009-0-38984-9--TOP&isbn=978-1-4377-0986-5&about=true&uniqId=236797353-5. Accessed March 14, 2012.
- Bray GA. Etiology and natural history of obesity. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 14, 2012.
- Health care guideline: Prevention and management of obesity (mature adolescents and adults). Bloomington, Minn.: Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. http://www.icsi.org/obesity/obesity_3398.html. Accessed Feb. 7, 2012.
- Understanding adult obesity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/understanding.htm. Accessed March 15, 2012.
- Bray GA. Overview of therapy for obesity in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 14, 2012.
- The practical guide: Identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/. Accessed March 15, 2012.
- Donnelly JE, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand: Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2009;41:459.
- Sacks F, et al. Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:859.
- Andrews RA, et al. Surgical management of severe obesity. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 14, 2012.
- Najm W, et al. Herbals used for diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Primary Care. 2010;37:237.
- Cho SH, et al. Acupuncture for obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity. 2009;33:183.
- Completed safety review: Xenical/Alli (Orlistat) and severe liver injury. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm213038.htm. Accessed Feb. 16, 2011.
- Sarwer DB, et al. A review of the relationships between extreme obesity, quality of life, and sexual function. Obesity Surgery. 2012;22:668.
- Bray GA. Health hazards associated with obesity in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed March 14, 2012.
- FDA expands use of banding system for weight loss. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm245617.htm. Accessed Feb. 7, 2012.
- Belviq (prescribing information). San Diego, Calif.: Arena Pharmaceuticals; 2012. http://invest.arenapharm.com. Accessed June 29, 2012.
- FDA approves Belviq to treat some overweight or obese adults. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm309993.htm. Accessed July 23, 2012.
- FDA approves weight-management drug Qsymia. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm312468.htm. Accessed July 18, 2012.
- Qsymia (prescribing information). Mountain View, Calif.: Vivus Inc.; 2012. http://www.vivus.com/products. Accessed July 18, 2012.
- Belviq (lorcaserin) — Not currently available. Eisai, Inc. http://us.eisai.com/product.asp?ID=290&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=+belviq&utm_campaign=Efficacy%2B&%2BPI. Accessed March 12, 2013.
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