Risk factors

Strong

hypothyroidism

• Secondary obesity is uncommon, but hypothyroidism can be associated with abnormal weight gain.

hypercortisolism

• Secondary obesity is uncommon, but hypercortisolism can be associated with excess weight.

corticosteroid therapy

• Weight gain is associated with long-term corticosteroid use.

Weak

age ≥40

• The prevalence of obesity is not equal across age groups; there appears to be a peak in the prevalence in the fifth decade, followed by a plateau in the sixth through eighth decades, with a subsequent tapering in the prevalence after the eighth decade.

peri- and postmenopause

• Weight gain and abdominal redistribution of fat after menopause has been well described, but is not universal and has a complex relationship with environmental factors.Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not associated with further weight gain. HRT actually may prevent weight gain and abdominal fat redistribution.

prior pregnancy

• There may be a weak association with obesity and parity. This association is confounded by contributing cultural, environmental and socioeconomic factors.

married

• Some investigators have noted that the prevalence of obesity is higher in married people than in single people. While there are a number of theories to explain this, the association is not well understood.

sleep deprivation

• Sleep deprivation, whether voluntary or induced (e.g., shift working), has been associated with weight gain and obesity.

hx of tobacco smoking

• Obesity and smoking are commonly observed in association, but it is unclear whether smoking might be a risk factor for obesity. Some studies suggest smoking cessation may also be a risk factor for weight gain.

less formal education

• In large epidaemiological studies, the prevalence of obesity has been noted to be increased in groups with less formal education.

poor in utero nutrition

• Long-term epidaemiological studies have noted a correlation between poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy (mostly manifested by low birth weight) and obesity in adulthood.

low socioeconomic status

• In most large epidemiological studies in the U.S.A. and Europe, the prevalence of obesity is higher in groups with low socioeconomic status.

sedentary lifestyle

• Since the relationship between obesity and a sedentary lifestyle remains a loose association, a sedentary lifestyle is characterized as a weak risk factor for obesity.

television watching and video games >2 to 3 hours daily

• Excessive television watching and video game playing generally are viewed as markers of a sedentary lifestyle and, not surprisingly, people (particularly children) who watch or play an excessive amount of television or video games have a higher incidence of obesity than people who are more active.

diet high in sugar, cholesterol, fat and fast food

• Dietary composition, or the choice of which types of foods to eat, has been implicated as a risk factor for obesity. Not all people whose diet is dominated by these choices become obese; the precise contribution of dietary choice to the development of obesity is difficult to quantify.

heavy alcohol intake (>2 drinks per day)

• Heavy alcohol consumption (>2 drinks per day) has been positively associated with obesity, although moderate alcohol consumption (i.e., 1 to 2 drinks per day) has been described as having a modest protective effect against obesity.

binge-eating disorder

• One of many obesogenic behaviors loosely associated with obesity.

night eating syndrome

• One of many obesogenic behaviors loosely associated with obesity.

leptin deficiency

• Leptin deficiency is a rare cause of inherited obesity.

antidepressant therapy

• Some reports correlate weight gain with anti-depressant use.

anti psychotic therapy

• Obesity is associated with some anti-psychotic medicine.

beta-blocker therapy

• Some correlation has been described between beta-blocker use and weight gain.

adjuvant breast cancer therapy

• Side effects of adjuvant therapies for breast cancer can include weight gain.

psychiatric diagnosis

• While there may be an association between obesity and psychiatric diagnosis, the importance of this latter risk factor is not clear because many, if not most, patients with a diagnosis such as schizophrenia or depression are on medication, which is associated with obesity.