Combatting obesity doesn’t happen overnight. Start by making small, meaningful changes and reach out for the support you deserve.
In the U.S., the percentage of people who are considered overweight is growing with more than 40% of adults considered obese. If current trends continue, it is expected that one billion adults (or almost 20% of the world’s population) will have obesity by 2025. Why are many people becoming obese? Is it our genes, what we eat, or how much we move? According to the National Library of Medicine, obesity is closely linked to both genetic and environmental factors.
Learn how your genetics and environment both play a role in your risk for obesity, get tips for maintaining a healthy weight, and find available resources to support healthy weight loss.
What Role Do Genes Play in Obesity?
Genes are passed from parents to their children and contain cellular information specifying certain traits such as your hair color or your eye color. Genes can also play a role in your risk for developing obesity. Studies estimate that between 40-70% of obesity can be linked to a person’s genetics, with genetic variations influencing traits like how your body stores fat, metabolizes nutrients, signals feelings of fullness, and controls pleasure-driven food consumption.
These influential genetic variations can start as early as conception. Some studies show obesity-related gene changes in individuals linked to their mother’s obesity during pregnancy.
How can we tell if our genes are playing a role? People with most or all of the following characteristics may have genes that contribute significantly to obesity:
- You have been overweight for much of your life.
- One of both of your parents is overweight.
- You can’t lose weight even when you increase physical activity and stick to a low-calorie diet for several months.
What Other Factors Play a Role in Obesity Rates?
While our genes can play a role in our risk for obesity, they aren’t the whole story. Environmental factors, or the outside forces that contribute to our weight, can also play an important role. These factors include:
- Your diet – If you consume a lot of food and drinks high in fat, sugar and calories, you are more likely to gain weight.
- Your activity levels – If you spend a lot of time sitting or lying down, your body will store the calories you consume as fat.
- Your sleep habits – Not getting enough sleep can make you feel hungrier, consume more calories, and make poor decisions about what you eat.
- Where you live, work, play and worship – It may be more difficult to make healthy decisions if you don’t live near a grocery store, if you are required to sit for long periods of time at your job, or if your neighborhood doesn’t offer a safe space to move your body.
- Your overall health – Certain medications, as well as certain health conditions such as depression may also lead to weight gain and obesity.
How Can I Maintain a Healthy Weight?
Understanding that several factors can influence your risk for obesity is a good place to start. From there, you can try to make lifestyle changes impacting your health and wellness in a positive way. Consider the following tips:
- Talk to your health care provider. Together you can discuss your weight, what factors may be contributing to your weight, as well as steps you can take to maintain a healthy weight.
- Make healthy dietary changes. If you consume more calories than you use, your body stores extra calories as fat. Learn what nutrients you need and see where you can make some small, healthy changes.
- Get moving. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week. Consider more ways to be active each day, such as adding an evening walk, trying a new fitness class, or finding a simple yoga routine to do from home.
- Get enough sleep. Research shows that the less you sleep, the more likely you are to gain weight. The CDC recommends adults get seven or more hours of sleep a night.
- Understand the health implications. It can be helpful to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy weight as it relates to your overall health. For example, obesity is a risk factor for several major cancers, including post-menopausal breast, colorectal, endometrial, kidney, esophageal, pancreatic, liver and gallbladder cancer. Knowing statistics like this can be a useful motivator when you’re struggling to make positive changes.
- Take care of your emotional and mental health. For many, emotions play a role in our ability to manage our weight. For example, many people eat when they are stressed or anxious. Others may find it difficult to exercise while suffering from depression. If factors like these contribute to your weight management challenges, learn more about the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Whole Health Approach to health care. This approach centers your care around what matters most to you and your well-being.
- Consider your next steps. Weight management doesn’t look the same for everyone. If you’ve tried to make lifestyle changes and are still struggling, consult your health care provider. Together you can discuss your next steps, which may include options such as weight loss medications or surgery.
What Resources Are Available to Help?
VA has several resources to support Veterans with their weight-related goals, including:
- Registered dietician nutritionists are food and nutrition experts who can help review your personal eating habits, explain how your food and lifestyle choices impact your health, and help create a personalized nutrition plan to reach your goals.
- MOVE! The Weight Management Program assists Veterans to achieve lasting weight loss and reduce their risk for chronic health conditions. MOVE! supports Veterans in making changes to their eating patterns and increasing their physical activity. Every VA medical center has a MOVE! coordinator to assist you.
- VA’s cookbooks and recipes are a great resource for new healthy recipes. Find easy dinner ideas like these grilled chicken taco salad bowls. Veterans can also find recipes and handouts specific to losing weight such as recognizing fullness, recipes for infused water, and more.
- The Healthy Teaching Kitchen program offers nutrition knowledge, cooking skills and guided practice to help create healthy dishes on your own. Take cooking classes online or in-person, or check out the YouTube channel where you can learn to make meals such as overnight oats for an easy, healthy breakfast.
Combatting obesity doesn’t happen overnight. Start by making small, meaningful changes and reach out for the support you deserve.