Exogenous obesity is caused by excessive food intake, leading to the body storing extra energy as fat. Overeating is caused by situational and psychological factors, and can lead to health problems. It is possible to reverse the condition through lifestyle changes.
Exogenous obesity is a condition in which a person is overweight due to excessive food intake. If a person habitually consumes more food than he is able to use for his body’s daily energy requirement, the body stores the extra energy in the form of fat, which can lead to obesity. This particular type of obesity is caused by individual actions, not malfunctions of bodily systems.
Understanding exogenous obesity is easier if you understand how the body processes the energy, or calories, it consumes. A certain number of calories are required for the body to perform basic involuntary functions, such as breathing and digestion. More calories are required to perform activities such as routine movement, and even more are required for the body to function well under stressful situations, such as strenuous exercise. If an individual is eating roughly the same number of calories that their body burns daily, they will not gain weight. Unfortunately, if an individual regularly eats more calories than their body can use, weight gain is usually inevitable.
Overeating is the cause of exogenous obesity, but there are many possible causes of overeating. In cases of exogenous obesity, overeating is usually not the result of starvation. Situational and psychological factors are often responsible for excessive calorie intake.
Situational overeating can occur in a variety of scenarios. One example is mindlessly munching on junk food while watching television or at the movies. No one is likely to sit down to a giant tub of buttered popcorn if they just need a snack, but it’s a tradition in the movies, and so it seems excusable. Likewise, cocktail parties or dinners with friends can lead to situational overeating. Finger foods bridge gaps in conversation and give guests a way to occupy their hands, and casual dinners at home don’t usually include a bread basket, appetizer, high-calorie entree, drinks, and dessert.
Psychological factors also contribute to exogenous obesity. It’s all too common for people to eat out of boredom, stress, or loneliness. Eating to fill a void causes ignoring of the bodily signals that indicate fullness and can lead to a dramatic increase in calories consumed. Overeating to cope with work stress coupled with feeling too busy to exercise can be a lethal combination.
Left unchecked, exogenous obesity can cause a variety of health problems. Excess weight puts stress on bones and joints, can lead to the development of diabetes and heart disease, and increases the risk of certain cancers. Fortunately, since exogenous obesity is caused by personal actions, it is possible to reverse the condition, although many people struggle seriously with changing their lifestyle choices.
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