Weight Loss and Belly Slimming: Analyzing the Causes of Obesity and Providing Scientifically Targeted Fat Reduction Methods

Causes of Obesity
Obesity is broadly classified into two categories: pathological obesity and simple obesity. Pathological obesity is further divided into endocrine obesity (diabetes, hypothyroidism, pseudohypothyroidism, insulin deficiency, hypogonadism, etc.), hypothalamic obesity, and drug-induced obesity.

From a medical perspective, some medications or hormones can also lead to obesity, especially digestive aids, protein synthesizers, and metabolism promoters, such as yeast, nandrolone phenylpropionate, and insulin. In addition, frequent use of corticosteroids that affect the metabolism of sugars, fats, proteins, inorganic salts, and water, such as hydrocortisone, prednisone, and dexamethasone, can cause fat accumulation in the face, neck, and back, resulting in a moon face and buffalo hump, while the limbs show relatively poor muscle mass and central obesity. Estrogens, gonadotropins, testosterone, isoniazid, and hydrochlorothiazide can also cause gynecomastia in men. Long-term use of corticosteroids can cause edema.

Pathological obesity, once the underlying cause is eliminated, will naturally eliminate excess body fat, and the imbalance between weight and height will gradually disappear, bringing the actual weight closer to the ideal weight. Therefore, those with pathological obesity should seek medical treatment promptly to prevent the condition from worsening.

Japanese medical experts classify simple obesity into two types: subcutaneous fat accumulation obesity and abdominal fat accumulation obesity. Some attribute the cause of simple obesity to "three more and one less": more eating, more sleeping, and more drinking; and less physical activity. While "three more and one less" reveals some of the causes of simple obesity, it is not comprehensive. Modern medical research has proven that obesity is caused by metabolism. The human body is an extremely complex and highly precise "mother machine," its operation involving multiple disciplines, such as human anatomy, exercise physiology, sports medicine, biomechanics, biochemistry, physical education, and nutrition. Due to limitations in scientific and technological development, the causes of simple obesity remain inconclusive. Nevertheless, scientists have conducted extensive research and achieved remarkable results. The main causes of simple obesity are listed below:

I. Lack of Physical Activity or Manual Labor
According to scientists' calculations, in the mid-19th century, 98% of all power used for production and daily life on Earth came from the muscle power of humans and livestock, with only 4% coming from water turbines, windmills, and a very small number of steam engines. By the late 1970s, human and livestock "muscle power" accounted for only 1% of total power, with the remainder replaced by mechanization and automation. Objectively, this has reduced the scope and time of physical labor, and significantly lowered its intensity. This is especially true for urban residents. Tasks they used to have to do, such as walking to and from get off work, sawing wood, carrying water and coal, washing clothes, and cooking, have now been replaced by fast transportation, comfortable and convenient living conditions, complete living facilities, a full range of household appliances, and pre-prepared or semi-prepared food. This has led to the suffering of "muscle hunger." Comfortable living, reduced physical activity, and insufficient exercise mean that the calories consumed from food exceed the calories burned. The excess calories are converted into fat, naturally leading to weight gain. Three American survey examples illustrate this problem.

Example 1: In the early 1980s, a follow-up survey of 350 college graduates in the United States found that 236 of them (67.4% of the total) gained weight due to ceasing or lacking physical activity after graduation.

Example 2: An American sports medicine expert compared the daily activities of obese and normal-weight individuals. The comparison included three aspects:

1. The length of time spent sitting;
2. The length of time spent standing;
3. The amount of time spent actively engaging in physical activity. The results showed that obese individuals spent 17% more time sitting, 15% less time standing, and 35% less time actively engaging in physical activity than normal-weight individuals.

Example 3: With the development of technology and the improvement of living standards, color televisions have entered ordinary households, and their status and value in people's lives are self-evident. However, they also harm people's physical and mental health in many ways and to varying degrees. A survey by Nielsen in the United States on the length of time children watch television revealed that the number of obese children in the United States has increased by 50% in the past 20 years, and one-third of children under the age of 13 are overweight. The company pointed out that the increase in obese children is due to excessive television viewing time coupled with a lack of necessary physical exercise.

II. The Theory of Adipocyte Proliferation
Cells and intercellular matrix (products of cell division, existing between cells, forming the internal environment for cellular life) are the most basic structures of the human body and the material basis for various physiological functions. Human growth and development primarily occur through cell growth and reproduction.

Regarding adipocytes, there are three main peaks in their division and proliferation throughout a person's life: the first is during the fetal period; the second is during infancy (from birth to one year old); and the third is during puberty (12-15 years old; girls start 1-2 years earlier than boys). During these periods of division and proliferation, growth and development are most vigorous. If the diet is improperly balanced during these three periods, leading to overnutrition, and there is a lack of physical activity (sports, manual labor), it can easily cause fat cell proliferation-related obesity.

There are two periods in adolescence where weight gain is common, but if managed well, obesity is generally not a problem. Infants aged 0-1 years are prone to rapid weight gain due to the consumption of sugar, fruit juice, and various additives. Children aged 4-5 have well-developed digestive systems and a voracious appetite. Furthermore, the change in environment from home to kindergarten can cause some children to become particularly excited, leading to a surge in food intake and making them prone to obesity.

There are two ways the body accumulates fat: First, there is hypertrophic obesity, where the size of fat cells increases, leading to an increase in total body fat. Weight gain in middle-aged and elderly people is often due to this type of hypertrophic obesity. Second, there is proliferative obesity, where the number of fat cells increases. Children under 8 years old gain weight not only because of the increase in the size of their fat cells but also because of the increase in their number. Once fat cells are produced in the body, their number is difficult to change throughout life. From a medical perspective, obesity caused by fat cell proliferation is relatively more difficult to lose weight. Even if weight is temporarily lost, it is likely to be regained given the opportunity (such as snacking, increased food intake, lack of exercise, excessive sleep, etc.). Therefore, parents should pay special attention to prevent their children from becoming obese around the age of 4-5.