obesity
... This survey also mentions “obesity has nearly doubled from approximately 15% in 1980 to an estimated 27% in 1999”. ... A 1996 survey by Decision Resources, a market research company in Waltham, Massachusetts, indicates “obesity and its effects cost Americans $100 billion per year. Cardiovascular disease caused by obesity costs $29. ... ” Awareness of the consequences and the causes of obesity may help to reduce the obesity problem significantly. In order to tackle the problem of increasing obesity rates efficiently, we should consider it at the root level, and to do so, we must investigate its causes. ... Admittedly separating genetics from behavior is difficult, but scientists consider genetic factors as the primary reason for obesity. That is why pharmaceutical companies have started using genetic approaches (pharmacogenomics) to develop new drug strategies to treat obesity. ... This mitochondrial inheritance is compelling evidence supporting the genetic factor of obesity. Besides mitochondrial influence, examples of genetically determined hormonal abnormalities exist, which contribute to obesity. Glandular problems are examples of genetic hormonal abnormalities that cause obesity. ... In at least one case, scientists have overestimated the genetic factor of obesity. Leptin, a naturally occurring hormone, which controls the appetite, is a very important genetic factor of obesity. ... Though this is a counterexample to genetic factors as a reason of obesity, it is not good enough to disprove genetic factors as one cause of obesity, but we cannot overlook because more evidence of genetic factors exist which cause obesity than evidence of genetic factors not causing obesity. ... This study examined individual, social and physical environmental factors associated with obesity. SEIDI claims that the sedentary nature of people’s work is responsible for obesity. ... This study successfully describes the environmental factors of obesity. ... Therefore most of the environmental factors which contribute to obesity in Australia, also contribute to obesity in the USA. Besides genetic and environmental factors, psychological factors also play an important role to cause obesity.