A very important health hazard that the world faces today is from obesity and overweight. The overweight population is prone to a variety of health problems such as cholesterol, heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure. High calorie intake combined with low physical activity is considered as the most common cause of obesity. Obesity and overweight are most common in the rich countries of the world as well as the affluent class in the developing world. It is seen that the poorer sections in the affluent countries too are afflicted with this condition. This fact, amongst others, indicates that the problem is actually a lifestyle problem. The low physical activity and the kind of food that are consumed together cause the problem.
The food that is available in the urban cities and towns has undergone a rapid change. Fresh food has been systematically replaced by processed food. The consumer tastes have accordingly got modified. Processed food generally cost less than fresh food. It is available easily in the stores, and is either ready to eat or easy to prepare. These qualities of processed food go well with the busy urban life. However the nutritional value of these processed foods, often called fast food and junk food, is pretty low. They contain high levels of fat, sugar and additives. This low-cost food is what the poorer sections in the affluent countries are forced to eat too. Obesity amongst the richer section in affluent countries comes mostly due to high nutrition and calorie intake combined with low physical activity, while in the case of its poorer section it comes from bad nutrition and consumption of low-cost fast food. In the case of the poorer countries, obesity is associated with wealth and sedentary lifestyle amongst the rich. However, obesity can also be due to genetic and eating disorders too.
With obesity becoming a major health issue, the weight loss market too has vastly expanded. There are a variety of weight loss products and formulas in the market. These could be confusing. You might like to get to know more about over weight and obesity problem. The information about these products and prescriptions are available in the Internet as well as in various publications. There are numerous books on the subject such as Low GI Diet, HCG Diet Guide and Lose Your Belly Fat.
Obesity cannot be addressed without changes in lifestyle. With people becoming more aware of health, there are shift of consumer preference to organic food. More people are aware of the effect of fast food on health. More nutritious food is entering the food habits of people once again.
Eating can be a great hobby but it's also risky. Eating too much can only result to obesity and greater health risks.
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