Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of overweight people in the world. This can be attributed to unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity. Obesity is a major health problem. It is a risk factor for diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
Excessive consumption of junk foods is the number one cause of obesity. Junk or fast foods are rich in calories and unhealthy fats. When we consume more calories than our body can burn, it will convert the excess calories into fat. As a result people who consume calorie rich foods on a regular basis gain weight. Late night dinners are another cause of weight gain. When we have a heavy meal immediately before going to bed, the body does not get an opportunity to burn it. Our sedentary lifestyle is also to blame. Most of us have jobs that allow us to spend our entire day in a chair. This lack of physical activity reduces our requirement for calories. Still, we are consuming more calories than we need.
Limiting the consumption of calories and making physical activity an important part of your routine is the only way to combat obesity. Our bodies are designed to move. When we exercise, we not only burn the excess calories but also reduce our risk for a variety of illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. We need to make proper changes to our eating habits too. We must make a conscious effort to stay away from fatty foods. We must also ensure that we are having low calorie healthy meals at regular intervals.
To conclude, while it is true that the number of obese people is on the rise this problem can be tackled by making appropriate changes to our lifestyle and eating habits.