Causes of Obesity

Obesity and weight gain can create a vicious and depressing cycle that can be extremely discouraging. The more you eat, the harder it is to feel full. The more weight you gain, the harder it is to exercise. This cycle is not the root cause of obesity, but can make getting healthy seem impossible once you have been going down the path of unhealthy habits for years.

Weight gain and obesity are primarily caused by a caloric imbalance, which means consuming more calories than you burn. This is not a surprise to most people, since overeating and lack of exercise are widely known to contribute to obesity. However, there are a variety of influences on your day-to-day life that may be the root cause of caloric imbalance or worsen your problem with obesity, such as genetics and certain medical conditions. Understanding the root causes of obesity are extremely important if you are considering bariatric weight loss surgery as a way to get back to a healthy weight.

Understanding the Causes of Obesity

Our goal as a bariatric surgery practice in Los Angeles is to help you control your appetite by allowing you to feel full after eating much smaller portions. However, we will also help you identify hereditary and environmental factors that also contribute to obesity. Even after your bariatric surgery begins to help you stop overeating, factors that may continue to influence your weight include:

• Certain medications
• Hyprothyroidism and other endocrine disorders
• Genetic predisposition
• Family and social influences

Our experienced bariatric surgeons, Dr. Shyam Dahiya and Dr. Stephen Russell Kerr, will help you prepare for your bariatric surgery by explaining how these factors along with unhealthy habits have contributed to your excess weight. Our nutrition expert Dr. Jose Mari-Elacion will help you create a diet and exercise plan to follow after your weight loss surgery.

Monthly follow-up visits for a year after your LAP-BAND®, gastric bypass, or other bariatric surgery will reinforce the importance of a healthy diet and exercise for reaching maintaining your goal weight. Without this one-on-one attention, your chances for successful weight loss, even after bariatric surgery, are greatly reduced. Obesity has many causes, but focus and determination to change your lifestyle after weight loss surgery is the key getting healthy for yourself and your family.

If you are ready to take care of your loved ones by finally taking care of yourself, please contact our board-certified bariatric surgeon Dr. Shyam Dahiya today for a consultation on your options for bariatric surgery.