To find out someone’s waist-to-hip ratio, measure the waist at its narrowest
point, then measure the hips at the widest point. Divide the waist measurement
by the hip measurement. A woman with a 35-inch waist and 46-inch hips would do
the following calculation: 35 / 46 = 0.76
What
It Means:
Women with waist-to-hip ratios of more than 0.8 or men with waist-to-hip
ratios of more than 1.0 are “apples.” They are at increased health risk because
of their fat distribution.
What
Causes Obesity?
In scientific terms, obesity occurs when a person’s calorie intake exceeds
the amount of energy he or she burns. What causes this imbalance between
consuming and burning calories is unclear. Evidence suggests that obesity often
has more than one cause. Genetic, environmental, psychological, and other
factors all may play a part.
Genetic
Factors
Obesity tends to run in families, suggesting that it may have a genetic
cause. However, family members share not only genes but also diet and lifestyle
habits that may contribute to obesity. Separating these lifestyle factors from
genetic ones is often difficult. Still, growing evidence points to heredity as a
strong determining factor of obesity. In one study of adults who were adopted as
children, researchers found that the subjects’ adult weights were closer to
their biological parents’ weights than their adoptive parents’. The environment
provided by the adoptive family apparently had less influence on the development
of obesity than the person’s genetic makeup.
Take
Heart
Nevertheless, people who feel that their genes have doomed them to a lifetime
of obesity should take heart. As discussed in the next section, many people
genetically predisposed to obesity do not become obese or manage to lose weight
and keep it off.
Environmental
Factors
Although genes are an important factor in many cases of obesity, a person’s
environment also plays a significant part. Environment includes lifestyle
behaviors such as what a person eats and how active he or she is. Americans tend
to have high-fat diets, often putting taste and convenience ahead of nutritional
content when choosing meals. Most Americans also don’t get enough exercise.
What
You Can Change
People can’t change their genetic makeup, of course, but they can change what
they eat and how active they are. Learn how to choose more nutritious meals that
are lower in fat. Learn to recognize environmental cues (such as enticing
smells) that may make them want to eat when they are not hungry. Become more
physically active
Psychological
Factors
Psychological factors also may influence eating habits. Many people eat in
response to negative emotions such as boredom, sadness, or anger.
Binge
Eating
While most overweight people have no more psychological disturbance than
normalweight p
Understanding Adult Obesity was originally published on blackdoctor.org
