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Many experts are alarmed with the rising number of people suffering from obesity, not only in the US, but also in many parts of the world. According to 2004 survey figures from the Journal of American Medical Association, about 71% of men in their 20's are overweight, while about 31% are obese.

Actually, obesity per se is not really what is scary but the complications, such as diabetes, heart problems and even certain types of cancer, that are associated with it. Many say that being obese and overweight can directly affect sexual appetite. Specialists believe that individuals who are apple-shaped or those whose waists are much larger than their hips are more susceptible to the above mentioned conditions.

If you look at obese men, you will realize that most of their fat is stored or concentrated in their bellies. This is the reason why heart complications and diabetes are quite common to over-sized men. The funny thing is that most of them are really not aware of what has caused their sudden increase in girth. Read on if you are interested to find what causes obesity in men.

It's In The Genes

Long have scientists tried to prove that there is a connection between genes and obesity. A recent study conducted by Pennington Biomedical Research Center's Dr. Claude Bouchard has found that some men are really more inclined to being fat than others. In this controlled study, twins were overfed for a period of 100 days. Results show that some sets of twins gained not more than 8 pounds, while some sets gained as much as 26 pounds. Clearly these figures suggest that there is indeed a genetic link. If you are one of those who have obesity genes, you need to pay more attention to what you eat and strive to be more active than usual. And don't ever think that heredity has predestined you to be fat.

Large Portions Feed Huge Cravings

Although restaurants commonly serve super-sized meals nowadays, large food portions really became popular during the '80s, about the same time as fastfood became staple food of many Americans. Since inexpensive big sized meals are being served everywhere, people, particularly men, have gotten used to eating these large portions. In no time, Americans are starting to pig out and eat very heavy meals.

A recent study confirmed that people tend to get used to big servings unintentionally. In such experiment, one group of participants was unknowingly served with super-sized meals, while the other group was given controlled or smaller portions. In just 11 days, the group that was given large portions was already eating up to 5,000 calories more than the other group.

With the looming global food and financial crisis, it is high time for people to be more conscious of the amount of food that they are eating. Eating in a buffet or ordering large meals may be all right once in a while, but doing it everyday could really make your body gain weight. If you are already overweight and have gotten so used to eating large portions, you have to start dieting slowly by replacing burgers and other high-calorie food with fruits, vegetables and water.

Loving The Couch

Nowadays, you can watch and play all the sports that you love with just a click of a button or mouse. The increasing number of ways to entertain oneself without sweating out is one of the reasons why many men are experiencing expanding bellies. Video consoles, hundreds of channels in cable TV, and various PC and Internet games have made many people hug the couch. Before, men used to hike, fish, swim, and play baseball with their kids as form of entertainment.

Obesity is not something that is permanent. Even if being overweight runs in your family, there are a lot of things you can do to lose weight and shed pounds. As mentioned earlier, increasing your physical activity and eating judiciously are surefire ways to permanently help you shed pounds.