Causes & Consequences of Obesity

There are many environmental, social, physiological & behavioural reasons why people can be overweight & obese.  The most basic reason however, is that the energy balance between what an individual eats (the energy in) & how that energy is used (the energy out) is uneven leading to excess energy being stored in the body as fat.

Because of this energy balance principle, people who eat a high-fat, high-energy diet & do not exercise will almost certainly gain weight.  There are also a number of other reasons why some people gain excess weight more quickly than others. 

These include:

• Age
• Gender
• Body weight
• Food preference
• Medications
• Hereditary factors/genetics
• Ethnicity
• Socio-economic factors/status
• Psychological factors

Obesity is more common in lower socio-economic groups, in rural & remote populations, in certain ethnic groups, & in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people.

There are many health risks involved with being overweight or obese.

The physical health problems can range from contribute to a range of life-threatening illness^, including:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Sleep apnoea
• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Coronary artery disease
• Respiratory problems
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Dislipidaemia
• Some types of cancers

There is a number of health as well as social & psychological consequences associated with being overweight or obese.

Psychosocial consequences include:

• Social bias
• Discrimination
• Low self-esteem
• Body shape dissatisfaction
• Eating disorders, e.g. binge-eating disorder
• Isolation
• Depression and Anxiety

It is important then to prevent excess weight gain, not just for general good health & wellbeing but in order to avoid the more serious problems that obesity can bring about.  Fortunately losing excess weight can often slow or reverse many of these disorders.

Find out more about obesity:

• What is obesity?
• BMI
• Treatments
• Bariatric Blog