Obesity Doesn't Start with Food: True Causes of the Dangerous Disease Revealed

Experts from the German Obesity Society note that obesity is a complex chronic disease caused by genetic, neurohormonal, psychological, and social factors, not just overeating. In Germany, about 19 million people suffer from it. Heredity, metabolic disorders, childhood eating habits, sedentary lifestyle, and stress are key causes.

Experts from the German Obesity Society emphasize that obesity is a complex chronic disease that develops under the influence of many factors, not just overeating or lack of physical activity. In Germany, about 19 million people are overweight—roughly a quarter of the adult population aged 18 to 79. Key causes include: hereditary predisposition (if parents are overweight, the child's risk increases), neurohormonal disorders affecting hunger and satiety, poor eating habits established in childhood, low education level and limited financial resources, sedentary lifestyle, and psychosocial factors including depression, chronic stress, and smoking cessation. Obesity increases the risk of more than 60 diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.