Obesity causes and health risks. Obesity is a medical condition due to the consumption of high calorie meals. Obesity is dependent on different factors.

Becoming obese is dependent on quite a number of factors. Some of these factors may include genetics, behaviour and the environment as well. Also, there are some illnesses that are closely associated with obesity. In a lot of cases, there is significant help available and patients are never alone.

Calorie Imbalance

In ten years, an average person eats about 10 million calories but their weight typically only changes by about 5kg up or down. So in most cases, our weight remains stable over time. This is because our bodies control our calorie balance very precisely; much like a thermostat keeps the temperature of a room steady.

Our genes and our environment both affect the setting of this ‘weight thermostat’ and can cause a calorie imbalance. For example, our genes can affect the amounts and types of food that we prefer to eat. And our environment affects the amounts and types of food that are available to eat.