As humans, we have access to a massive assortment of foods that help us survive. These foods provide our bodies with nutrients to stay healthy and calories for energy. If we take in more calories than we burn, then the food is stored in our body as fat. If this happens regularly, there is a risk of becoming obese. Obesity means having an excessive amount of fat on the body. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States, behind tobacco. More than half of Americans are overweight and nearly a third are obese. There are many reasons why people become obese including: emotions, genes, gender, age and many others. There are also several ways to tell if someone is overweight or obese. Finally, there are several ways to lose weight and keep it off. Several factors cause people to become obese. One reason is that obesity is hereditary both through genes and shared eating and lifestyle habits. Emotions also contribute to people being overweight. We overeat due to anger, boredom, depression, loneliness and many other emotional reasons. The people around us play an important role, inspiring our eating habits and activity levels. Men tend to have more muscle mass than women, and because muscle burns more calories than other tissues, women seem to gain weight more easily, even with the same calorie intake. Age also contributes to obesity, we tend to lose muscle and gain fat as we age. Our metabolisms also slow down as we age. Both of these factors require lower calorie consumption. Women tend to weigh 4 to 6 pounds more after pregnancy. This initial weight gain could contribute to obesity in women. Certain medical conditions and medications can contribute to obesity, including: Hypothyro...... middle of paper ...... recommended only for people who are morbidly obese or if your BMI is over 40. There are two types of bariatric obesity. surgical, malabsorbing and restrictive. Malabsorbent surgery decreases intestinal absorption of food by skipping part of the digestive system. Restrictive surgery decreases the size of the stomach, allowing a person to hold less food. Obesity is a huge problem in the United States because food is everywhere and our lack of exercise doesn't help matters. Obesity increases the risk of many health problems that can lead to death. Emotions, genes, age and environmental factors are just some of the causes of obesity. Body mass index is the best way to determine if you are overweight. The best way to lose weight is to follow a proper diet and exercise regularly. Works Cited Galletta, Gayle M. “Obesity.” eMedicineHealth. NP, 2010. Web. February 1. 2010.