Obesity: Recent Developments: Obesity Causes

Genetics, environment, diet, and other factors all play a role in causing obesity. Although there is no single cause, there does seem to be a correlation between the obesity epidemic and the rise of the fast food and junk food industries. Junk food manufacturers and fast food operators have been particularly targeted as responsible for the growing number of people who are obese. Both industries have made cheap, high-calorie, high-fat foods widely available, and they have promoted these foods by investing billions of dollars in advertising, much of it television commercials targeted at children. Numerous studies have linked obesity and poor nutrition with the number of hours of television watched each day.