Obesity - Cause

Obesity is a complex disease for which no single cause or cure exists. You gain weight when you take in more calories than you burn off. But obesity is influenced by many other factors, also, including your family history, the type of work you do, your race, and your environment.

Overeating is easy in our culture today. Portions at fast-food and other restaurants are "super-sized" to the point that one meal can provide an entire day's worth of calories. Food is also a focal point of social activity. Gatherings of family and friends, work events, and holidays are usually centered around food. And eating can be a comfort when you are depressed or stressed.

Also, people are less active than ever. Some people hate to exercise and others may not have the time. And many of the conveniences we use, such as elevators, cars, and the remote control for the television, cut activity out of our lives.

Even making small changes-like walking your dog-can make a difference. Letting the dog out the door burns 2 calories. Walking the dog for 30 minutes burns 125 calories. Taking the car to a car wash uses 18 calories. Washing and waxing it yourself burns 300.

Use this interactive tool to find out how many calories you burn with typical daily activities and exercise:

Interactive Tool: Calories Burned

Other things can affect our weight, such as family history or genetics. If one of your parents is obese, you are 3 times as likely to be obese as someone with parents of healthy weight.³

Your family's and friends' lifestyles can also affect your weight. If your family or friends eat a lot of high-fat or snack foods, eat at irregular times, and skip meals, you probably will too. And if they are not physically active, you may not be either.

Other things influence your weight and whether you are physically active, including:

Low self-esteem. Being overweight or obese may lower your self-esteem and lead to eating as a way to comfort yourself. Repeated failure at dieting also can affect your self-esteem and make it even harder to lose weight.
Emotional concerns. Emotional stress, anxiety, or illnesses such as depression or chronic pain can lead to overeating. Some people eat to calm themselves, to avoid dealing with unpleasant tasks or situations, or to dampen negative emotions.
Trauma. Distressing events, such as childhood sexual, physical, or emotional abuse; loss of a parent during childhood; or marital or family problems, can contribute to overeating.
Alcohol. Alcohol (beer and mixed drinks) is very high in calories.
Medicines or medical conditions. Some medical conditions and medicines may also cause weight gain. Examples include having Cushing's syndrome or hypothyroidism or taking certain antidepressants or corticosteroids.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: April 16, 2009

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.

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284218 10/09

One Pill a Day: Up to 24 Hours of Heartburn Relief in Many Adults with ARD

Important Safety Information

KAPIDEX may not be right for everyone. You should not take KAPIDEX if you are allergic to KAPIDEX or any of its ingredients. Severe allergic reactions have been reported.
Symptom relief does not rule out other serious stomach conditions.
The most common side effects of KAPIDEX were diarrhea (4.8%), stomach pain (4.0%), nausea (2.9%), common cold (1.9%), vomiting (1.6%), and gas (1.6%). KAPIDEX and certain other medicines can affect each other. Before taking KAPIDEX, tell your doctor if you are taking ampicillin, atazanavir, digoxin, iron, ketoconazole, or tacrolimus. If you are taking KAPIDEX with warfarin, you may need to be monitored because serious risks could occur.

Uses of KAPIDEX

Persistent heartburn two or more days a week, despite treatment and diet changes, could be acid reflux disease (ARD). Prescription KAPIDEX capsules are used in adults to treat heartburn related to ARD, to heal acid-related damage to the lining of the esophagus (called erosive esophagitis or EE), and to stop EE from coming back. Individual results may vary. Most damage (erosions) heals in 4–8 weeks.

Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional. Please see full Prescribing Information for KAPIDEX.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.