Obesity causes multiple

Obesity is defined as a body mass index greater than or equal to 30 (divide weight twice the size: eg 60 kg / 1.60 / 1.60) and is characterized by an excess of body fat distributed way widespread.

Even if there is a central cause, obesity is multifactorial (multiple causes).

An epidemic called obesity ...
Over the past fifteen years, the number of obese has almost doubled in our country. But for the first time in 2011, the epidemic is bent in France.

There are still 15 million overweight people, including 7 million obese adults, or 15% of the population!

Note that obesity is not a problem of adults: in childhood obesity, the risk of obesity in adulthood is 80% ...
Hence the importance of acting since childhood.

Obesity: what consequences?

Obesity is taken very seriously.

She is responsible for serious health problems, the main ones diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart attacks, the sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, some cancers, etc., not to mention a strong psychological and social impact.

Main cause of obesity: an energy imbalance (too rich food + exercise)
The main cause of overweight and obesity is "an imbalance between a diet too rich and insufficient physical exercise," says the World Health Organization (WHO).

In other words, the obesity epidemic that is taking place now due to a combination of two factors:

Changes in our power mode (richer in sugar and fat).

A net decrease of daily physical activity.

Heredity is also a cause of obesity
Familial predisposition may promote the development of obesity.

A child whose parent is overweight or obese 40% risk of becoming obese himself or develop overweight.

If both parents are overweight, the child has 80% chance of becoming in his turn.


By comparison, the risk of a child developing obesity are 10% when both parents are of normal weight

What are the other factors as obesity?
Other factors may influence weight gain:

Taking certain drugs (antiepileptics, psychotropics, corticosteroids).
Some genetic or endocrine disorders (hormonal imbalance).
Smoking cessation.

Psychological factors such as stress.

New avenues for understanding obesity
Research is active in the field of obesity.

Noted in particular that research teams are currently interested in the role of the gut and intestinal flora.

Intestinal flora could help digest food, while some hormones increase the storage capacity in the fat cells.


Very early events, especially the determinants involved in utero and during the first months of life, are also studied, with the same goal, to succeed preventive intervention.