Reasons for Obesity

Causes of Obesity

Just like there is no weight loss pill or single "magic potion"diet plan to cure obesity there is no single cause of obesity.

We are living in an age of two income families, job loss,stress, and time constraints. It makes it difficult to prepareand eat healthy foods. The ad agencies, the big food companies,and the 35 Billion dollar diet plan and diet supplementindustries are taking full advantage of the American people'sneed for instant gratification.

What weight loss research has uncovered is that there is noquick fix for permanent weight loss. A person who is consideredobese must realize that no weight loss pill, no shake, no dietplan or reduced calorie bar, is going to make him or her slimovernight. Weight loss pills are unhealthy because they tend toinduce jitters in people, and the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) oftentimes does not verify their safety. Just a few yearsago, weight loss pills containing ephedra were removed from themarket because they were believed to cause heart problems inpeople.

What we struggle with as a nation is the idea that everythinghas to happen now; no, make that yesterday. If we cannot haveimmediate results, we don't want to know about it. Unfortunately, weight loss research clearly shows that we cannotexpect to lose fat weight quickly; nor can we do so in a healthymanner. The only path to permanent weight loss is through acommitment to a healthier lifestyle that incorporates regularexercise and a nutritious diet.

Depending on how much weight you have to lose, you may need theguidance of your doctor to begin a new workout program forweight loss. If you merely have five or 10 pounds to drop, youcan begin to take some steps to lose that weight safely. First,take a good look at what you are putting in your mouth. Replaceprocessed foods with natural foods, and make sure to drink atleast 64 ounces of water each day, more if you exercise heavily.

Limit alcohol and caffeine, as both can dehydrate you quickly.

Permanent weight loss can only result from burning more calorieson a daily basis than you consume. One pound of fat equals about3500 calories. You need to burn off those excess calories orthey are stored as fat, it's that simple.

Rapid weight loss from fad diets usually is made up of waterloss. Muscle contains four times as much water as fat. So rapidweight loss reduces lean muscle, causing the metabolism to slow,making the diet program eventually level out and stop.

Educate Yourself about Weight Loss, nutrition and the causes ofobesity.

The point of my book, Living to Be Younger, is to educate peopleon weight loss research. I wanted people to know the facts sothat they could make informed decisions regarding their ownhealth.

Only you can make the decision to live a healthy life by eatingwell, exercising regularly, managing stress, and getting enoughsleep. If you want to look and feel fabulous, you can. Justremember that you must put in the necessary work to reach yourhealth goals. I believe you can do it, and more than that, Ibelieve you deserve to live your best life. Why not go for it?

Martin Harshberger is a sucessful business consultant, and fitness advocate. He has done extensive research and testing of nutrition, diet and exercise programs. His interest was initiated by a personal health issue, and he was sucessful in losing over 50 pounds, lowering his stress and blood pressure, as well as increasing muscle mass all at age 57. This was after he failed at the so called expert programs.