by Carol Wise

Created on: June 11, 2009

First, we need to realize that there is no one cause for obesity. There are multiple causes which vary from person to person and more then one cause can work with others to contribute to a person's obesity. So what are the causes of obesity?

Everyone has a genetic make up. I am not ready to buy that an individual must be obese due to their genetics, as they must have a certain eye or hair color. They maybe pre-disposed to gain weight more easily or to carry a few extra pounds, not an extra hundred. It may take extra effort but genetics can be at least partially controlled or corrected.

Next there can be diseases or conditions that contribute to weight gain such as Prader-Willi syndrome or hypothyroidism. Some are more treatable then others. Luckily most of these conditions are not wide spread.

Often ignored or overlooked when attempting to treat obesity are emotional traumas. Difficult to treat and define since the individual, themselves maybe unaware of the impact some events have had on them. Physical, psychological and sexual abuse can contribute to a person becoming emotionally dependent on food just as they can lead to drug and alcohol abuse or other self-destructive behaviors. Low self esteem can lead to obesity.

Cultural attitudes toward food can also play a role in obesity. Food is often presented as a form of love, to turn it down is to reject the preparer. Having lots of food, considered a form of wealth or well-being. Many cultures have passed along family dishes through generations that were developed when times were hard and food was scarce. High in fat, or starches and carbohydrates, these dishes saw that people survived during times of famine or draught while performing long and physical days of labor which is no longer the case.

Being able to process and preserve food for longer periods of time has also contributed to obesity. To increase flavor that processing often destroys, fats, sugars, and salts have been added to replace that loss of flavor, much to our detriment.

Over the years the way we work has also changed. Jobs have become less physical as well as more technical. As a result we are not as active, don't need or burn as many calories. Yet we have been encouraged to Super-size our meals. The un-used calories get stored as fat, causing more people to have to deal with obesity then ever before.

Many of the medications that have been developed to treat various illnesses can slow or interfere with the body's normal function, resulting

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