WHAT ARE THE BIOLOGIC AND MEDICAL CAUSES OF OBESITY?
Obesity results when the body consumes more energy than it uses. Research points to several different factors that may influence weight gain. About 90% of people who diet gain every pound back that they lose regardless of their weight-loss method. Some evidence suggests that every person has an inherited weight range that varies by only about 10% either up or down from some set point. (For instance, a man whose “genetically-determined” weight is 200 pounds would tend to swing from 180 to 220 pounds, but would be unlikely to lose or gain more than this.) Genetic factors that influence fat metabolism and regulate certain hormones and proteins that affect appetite may play some part in 70% to 80% of obesity cases. The Biologic Pathway to Appetite Appetite, and, thereby weight, is determined by processes that occur in both the brain and gastrointestinal tract. Eating patterns are regulated by feeding and satiety centers located in the hypothalamus and pituitary glands of the brain that res
