Health Related Implications

While the health issues associated with obesity are well accepted within the medical community, the health implications of the overweight category are more controversial. The generally accepted view has been that overweight often shares adverse risks with obesity, relative to normal weight. Adams et al. estimate that risk of death increases by 20 to 40 percent among overweight persons.

Flegal et al. found that mortality rates for individuals who are classified as overweight (BMI 25 to 30) may actually be lower than for those with an "ideal" weight (BMI 18.5 to 25)--however, this study has been widely discredited and regarded as fatally flawed by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, American Cancer Society, and even the CDC agency itself, which has backtracked on the findings from the Flegal report. A detailed discussion of methodological limitations of the study is available in an article from Harvard School of Public Health.

Psychological well-being is also at risk in the overweight individual. Prejudice against the overweight is one of the last legally and socially acceptable forms of discrimination. This may affect their ability to find a mate or employment. The receipt of overt remarks from childhood into old age also shape the personality of the overweight individual, either making him/her more resolute and obstinate or too willing to please others.

Causes

Being overweight is generally caused by the intake of more calories (by eating) than are expended by the body (by exercise and everyday living). Factors which may contribute to this imbalance include:

Limited exercise and sedentary lifestyle

Overeating

Poor nutrition

Genetic predisposition

A high glycemic index diet (i.e. a diet that consists of meals that give high postprandial blood sugar)

Hormone imbalances (e.g. hypothyroidism)

Metabolic disorders, which could be caused by repeated attempts to lose weight by Weight cycling,

An eating disorder (such as binge eating disorder)

Alcoholism

Stress

Insufficient sleep

Psychotropic medications

Smoking cessation and other stimulant withdrawal (unless treated with Hypnotherapy)

The amount of body fat is regulated to some extent subconsciously by the brain (by controlling caloric intake through appetite and food preferences). Although the exact mechanisms by which this occurs are not entirely known, one common theory suggests that each person may possess an inherent "set point" weight which the brain attempts to maintain, and that this set point may vary for each individual depending on a variety of factors including genetic predisposition, environment, and past experience.

This leads to the conclusion that some individuals may be predisposed to naturally maintaining different body weights than others, and thus it may be easier for some people to avoid being overweight, while others may find it much more difficult. It also suggests, however, that an individual's set point may be changeable with appropriate environment and conditioning (Hypnosis).

Treatment

A large number of people undergo some form of treatment to attempt to reduce their weight, usually either in an attempt to improve their health, to improve their lifestyle, or for cosmetic reasons. The generally recommended treatment for being overweight is a modified or controlled diet in conjunction with increased exercise. Hypnosis can help with this.

Studies suggest that reducing calorie intake by itself (dieting) may have short-term effects but does not lead to long-term weight loss, and can often result in gaining back all of the lost weight and more in the longer term. For this reason, it is generally recommended that weight-loss diets not be attempted on their own but instead in combination with increased exercise and long-term planning and weight management.

The health benefits of weight loss are also somewhat unclear. While it is generally accepted that for significantly obese patients, losing weight can reduce health risks and improve quality of life, there is some evidence to suggest that for merely overweight patients, the health effects of attempting to lose weight by dieting, may actually be more detrimental than simply remaining overweight. Moreover, for all individuals, repeatedly losing weight and then gaining it back ("yo-yo dieting"), is believed to do more harm than good and can be the cause of significant additional health problems. This is caused by the loss of more muscle than fat.

There is no healthy, short-term solution for solving obesity, or being overweight. Changes in lifestyle, such as more exercise or dieting, must be permanent changes, which are made in the subconscious mind.