The World Health Organization (WHO) and many medical and scientific societies recognize obesity as a chronic, progressive disease caused by genetic, biochemical, lifestyle, and environmental variables. At Waked MD, weight loss expert Tarek Waked, MD, FACS, FASMBS, supports your weight loss efforts with lifestyle recommendations, nutrition counseling, behavioral therapy, and life-changing bariatric procedures that reduce your weight, put diabetes into remission, and improve chronic conditions like heart disease and sleep apnea. If you struggle with obesity, call one of our offices in Georgetown or Middletown, Delaware, or book an appointment online today.
A positive energy balance causes weight gain and occurs when the amount of calories consumed (energy intake) exceeds the number of calories the body uses (energy expenditure) in the performance of basic biological functions, daily activities, and exercise. A positive energy balance may be caused by overeating or by not getting enough physical activity. However, there are other conditions that affect energy balance and fat accumulation that do not involve excessive eating or sedentary behavior. These include:
Weight gain is yet another contributor to weight gain or, in other words, obesity ‘begets’ obesity, which is one of the reasons the disease is considered ‘progressive’. Weight gain causes a number of hormonal, metabolic, and molecular changes in the body that increase the risk for even greater fat accumulation. Such obesity-associated biological changes reduce the body’s ability to oxidize (burn) fat for energy, increase the conversion of glucose (carbohydrate) to fat, and increase the body’s capacity to store fat in fat storage depots (adipose tissue). This means that more of the calories consumed will be stored as fat. To make matters worse, obesity affects certain regulators of appetite and hunger in a manner that can lead to an increase in meal size and the frequency of eating. Weight gain, therefore, changes the biology of the body in a manner that favors further weight gain and obesity.
People who suffer from obesity or overweight, compared to those with a healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following: