Morbid obesity
What causes morbid obesity?
When you eat, your body uses the calories you consume to keep your body working. Even at rest, the body needs calories to run the heart or digest food. If these calories are not used, the body stores them as fat. Your body will accumulate fat stores if you continue to eat more calories than your body can use during daily activities and exercise. Obesity and morbid obesity are the result of storing too much fat in your body.
Some medications, such as antidepressants, can cause weight gain. Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism can also cause weight gain, but can usually be managed in a way that does not lead to obesity.
Who is at risk of morbid obesity?
Anyone can gain weight and become obese if they consume more calories than their body can use.
Some studies have shown that genetic factors may play a role in how your body stores energy. Further research is underway to explore the relationship between genes and weight.
Many behavioural factors also play a role in obesity, including your eating habits and your level of daily activity. Many people develop their eating habits in childhood and find it difficult to refine them to maintain a healthy weight as they get older. As an adult, you may be inactive at work and have less time for exercise, meal planning and physical activity.
Other factors, such as stress, anxiety and lack of sleep, can lead to weight gain. People who stop smoking often experience temporary weight gain. Women may also find it difficult to lose the weight they gain during pregnancy or gain extra weight during the menopause. These factors do not necessarily lead to morbid obesity, but they can certainly contribute to it. It is therefore important to lose weight quickly and, above all, permanently.
