Obesity-in-adulthood-open-access-articles.php

 Obesity is a complex health issue resulting from a combination of causes and individual factors such as behavior and genetics. Behaviors can include physical activity, inactivity, dietary patterns, medication use, and other exposures. Additional contributing factors include the food and physical activity environment, education and skills, and food marketing and promotion. Obesity is serious because it is associated with poorer mental health outcomes and reduced quality of life. Obesity is also associated with the leading causes of death in the United States and worldwide, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. Obesity is a chronic disease that is increasing in prevalence in adults, adolescents, and children, and it is now considered a global epidemic. Obesity is associated with a significant increase in mortality and with risk of many disorders, including metabolic and cardiovascular disease, cancer, physical limitations, mental health disease, and social isolation, among others. Sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity may be risk factors for obesity in youth. Two factors that have contributed to the decline in the physical activity of many children are a greater reliance on television and computers for entertainment and decreased participation in physical education programs in schools.  Some illnesses may lead to obesity or weight gain. These may include Cushing’s disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Drugs such as steroids and some antidepressants may also cause weight gain. Research continues on the role of other factors in energy balance and weight gain such as chemical exposures and the role of the microbiome.