In recent times, weight problems seem to have occupied centre-stage in health and social matters. Most people would love to be in good shape and keep their weight to reasonably safe levels. Unfortunately, what people wish for and what they actually get to have are two very different issues. The fact remains that even against their will; a lot of people are putting on weight.

But why do people put on weight? What is responsible for the sudden epidemic of weight gain in American society today? Some of the answers include the ones discussed below:

Lifestyle:

One bad side effect of modern life is the fact that these days, most people lead a sedentary lifestyle. Most people hold jobs that restrict them to their desks. Therefore, they don't get to do much physical activity. For such people, their only form of exercise is to walk from their bedroom to the garage and from the company car park into the office. Naturally, with such a lifestyle, you are bond to put on weight.

Diet:

This is the major culprit in weight gain. Too much food has actually become a problem for most people. Of course, it makes sense to draw this simple conclusion. If you eat more food than your body requires, the extra calories will be stored as fat. This is where most of us fall flat on our greedy faces. We simply cannot help our large appetites.

Lack of Exercise:

No matter how much food you eat, as long as you exercise vigorously, you may not put on weight. But most people simply cannot make the effort to exercise on a regular basis. So, this is really the crux of the matter. Too much food plus too little exercise equals weight gain.

Junk Food:

If we make it a habit to eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and grains, we may not put on as much weight as we do now. But unfortunately, we live in an age of instant food. All the pies, cakes, chocolates, ice cream, pizza and fried foods we consume are loaded with calories. Let's face it; we simply cannot subject our bodies to so much abuse on a regular basis without paying a very high price. So, cut out junk food and fizzy drinks and you will cut down on weight gain.

Television:

This is another factor in the process of weight gain. And it is an equal opportunity problem. It works like this. The adults get back home from the office and they sit down for hours watching that television screen. As they watch, they are stuffing their guts with unhealthy snacks and sipping cans of unhealthy drinks. This is a classic case of double jeopardy. But it gets even worse. The children too spend their evening hours watching television and eating high calorie snacks. Now, with such a situation, why are we surprised that both adults and children are putting on weight?

Sometimes, people actually try the half way option on of going on a diet for a while. But this is not really a sensible solution becuase in most cases, people lose weight and gain the lost weight again. The most sensible thing to do is a change in habits and lifestyle.

Eat the right foods vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds and nuts. Add a bit of chicken and fish but cut down on red meat. Avoid snacks and fizzy drinks. Then exercise for at least one hour three times a week. This is the permanent solution to the problem of weight gain.

Learn more about this author, Emmanuel Osondu.
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