Obesity is a preventable condition, a condition where the fundamental cause is an energy imbalance between the overall intake and expenditure.

Obesity falls into the category of preventable diet and lifestyle disorder and is so closely linked to major risk factors that can increase the risk of cardiovascular heart disease, diabetes, and other degenerative diseases.

The simple equation is = ENERGY IN VS ENERGY OUT

This is where a positive energy balance from calories leads to weight gain as individuals are eating more calories than they are expending.

What is causing the increase in energy intake that is supporting the increasing proportion of obese people in the global population.

Portion size

This is having a large contributory factor, such factors are:

1. Dinner plate size (30% increase since 1960)

2. Plate size influences how much we serve and eat.

3. Family packs of food, larger food packets such as sharing bags.

4. The larger the bag the more we cook and consume.

Inactive lifestyle

1. Reduction in NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis and how much the body moves each day), this means a drop in the total daily energy expenditure. This is directly linked to the above and energy in and energy out.

2. NEAT can reduce the energy requirement, NEAT is so often reduced greatly due to a sedentary lifestyle but the uptake of energy and food is not.

3. Moderate activity = moderate appetite and as activity increases so does appetite, however as activity levels decrease the drive to eat increases also.

Technology

1. Development within the economic world, advances in computer use have direct links to higher levels of obesity.

2. Screen time, distracted eating results in a greater amount of calories eaten. This is equal to using mobile phones while eating, sitting at your desk at work for lunch or evening meal in front of the TV.

Eating when distracted – while you are distracted you are at a greater risk of eating more food and less likely to focus on the process of eating and digesting. The message from the stomach to the brain is disrupted as you become less mindful of what you are consuming and reduces the ability of your food to make you feel full.

This small change can make a large change to dietary adherence.

Marketing

This can affect both the purchasing and consumption of foods.

1. Pricing strategies such as buy one get one free. An offer that very rarely happens with the purchase of fruit and vegetables.

2. Packaging and Branding- all designed with the consumer in mind such as the use of family packs, designing cereals aimed at the younger generation.

3. Claims - Low fat is not always the healthy option that it is claimed to be. The removal of fat from a product often requires an increase in sugar to improve taste.

4. The healthy option – clever marketing or the real deal, always check food labelling for claims such as added protein or reduced sugar.

Workplace:

The workplace is where people spend a large majority of their working time which can mean:

1. Long working hours- shows a consistent contribution to higher risks of obesity.

2. Stressful and demanding jobs- an evidential connection between overeating and a reduction in exercise.

3. Duration in the workplace – higher consumption of high calorie and convenience foods

4. Sedentary occupations – greater risk of weight gain due to a reduction in NEAT, reduced levels of daily exercise and subsequent overeating.