The physiological process

Obesity often results from an imbalance between:

Daily energy intake (or EAT: total energy intake, amount of calories) made by food.

No carbohydrates (sugars slow or rapid GI more or less): sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc..

lipids (fatty acids) found in vegetable oils and animal fats in particular; and proteins, vegetable (seaweed, lentils, for example) or animals (meat, fish).


And the total energy expenditure:

No heat exchange with the environment (thermoregulation), even more important than the outside temperature is low;

No power needed to run the body (eg digestion.). The brain alone consumes about 20% of the total energy;

No physical exertion: walking, sports, physical activities of any kind.

When the body receives more than it spends, it stores a part of the contribution in the form of fat in adipose tissue. However, the metabolism, vary greatly among individuals, plays an important role, and some people will more easily become obese than others (including genetic factors).

Developing Countries

There are 115 million obese people in developing countries, paradoxically in some of these countries, people suffering from obesity and other malnourished meet. This is partly explained by two phenomena of economic origin:

* The fall in world sugar;
* Oil production is an activity sponsored by the States in many of these countries.

Therefore, oil and sugar are the cheapest food, which facilitates access for these populations to the detriment of other products, which can lead to deficiencies in protein, vitamins, trace elements, etc. .

Mexico is the second country in the world to share in the obese population, just behind the United States. Obesity affects 30% of adults, or 44 million Mexicans, and 40% know an overweight.

In 2002, China has a significant obesity (2.6% of the population with a BMI greater than or equal to 30) and overweight in general (14.7% of the population with a BMI greater than or equal to 25), button and about 215 million Chinese. The problem is mainly found in young (between 7 and 18 years) where he experienced a sharp increase in the order of 28 times between 1985 and 2000, mostly among boys. The causes are similar to those of Western countries. The 2008 figures confirm the sharp increase in obesity in China: 90 million Chinese are obese and 200 million overweight. Now a quarter of adults are overweight or obese in 2008, compared to only 8.8% in 1989.

In the poorest countries, obesity is socially valued. For example, in Mauritania, young girls of marriageable age are fattened to be more attractive and to maximize their chances of finding a spouse. Unlike developed countries, it relates to wealthier populations, it is therefore a sign of success and wealth.

Other markers

There are also other indicators of overweight: report waist / hip ratio. It must be less than 1 in humans and 0.85 in women.

Also be aware that body fat is distributed differently in men and women. It represents 10-15% of body weight of men and 20-25% of the weight of the woman. It usually accumulates on the abdomen and chest in man, on the hips and thighs in women.



Do not confuse obesity and metabolic syndrome. In fact, to be affected by this syndrome, it must meet three of the following risk factors:

* A waist circumference greater than 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women,
* Fasting blood glucose greater than 1.1 g / l (110 mg / dl) or under treatment
* A triglyceride level greater than 1.5 g / l (150 mg / dl) or under treatment
* HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) less than 0.4 g / l (40 mg / dl) in men and 0.5 g / l (50 mg / dl) in women (or treatment),
* Blood pressure greater than 13 / 8.5 or under treatment.

It is therefore possible to suffer from metabolic syndrome without being obese, just as one can be overweight without suffering from metabolic syndrome.