In the U.S., health experts and celebrities constantly discuss the causes of obesity

• Overeating. But is this a behavior that happens frequently in nature? Why do humans have an overeating problem?
  
  
• Unhealthy eating habits. Everybody has a habit or two that they would like to break. What are the unhealthy eating habits that lead to obesity?
  How did we develop these bad habits and why are they so hard to change?
  
  
• Bad carbs. Carbs seem to have a bad name these days. Are there any good carbs we can eat and still lose weight? Learn to tell bad carbs from good.
  
  
• Addicted to food. Some foods are so yummy we just don't want to quit eating them. But the more we eat, the more we want. How do we get addicted to food and how can we avoid this addiction? It is clearly one of the causes of obesity.
  
  
• Genetic obesity. When we fail at every diet, it seems that we must have fat genes. But how many of us had great-grandparents who were obese? And even if it is in our genes, can we overcome genetic obesity?

• "Counting calories" diet. Everyone says to eat less and exercise more if you want to lose weight. This is how a counting calories diet can make you gain weight.
  
  
• Eating in moderation. Some dietitians say there are no bad foods. You can eat anything you like as long as you don't eat too much. Eating all foods in moderation is similar to counting calories. It often doesn't work. Counting calories and trying to eat all foods in moderation are actually causes of obesity.
  
  

• Fast food causes obesity. Fact or fiction? Read a mini-history of fast food around the world. You decide if fast food causes obesity.
  
  
• Junk food facts. You can't avoid the stuff unless you move to Mars. Here is a definition of junk food and some other junk food facts.
  
  
• Food industry trends. It would be nice if the food industry wanted to help us avoid obesity. The dirty little secret is that most food industry trends lead us in the other direction. 
  
  
• Diet soda and weight gain. It tastes good and it doesn't have any calories. How can it be one of the causes of obesity? See what some research shows about diet soda and weight gain.
  
  
• Social pressure. If your family, friends, and workmates eat fattening food, they expect you to join them. Learn how to handle social pressure and you will have a better chance of losing weight.

• Sitting in chairs. We go from sitting in our car to sitting at work to sitting in front of the television. Recent research shows that too many hours sitting in chairs harms us in unexpected ways.
  
  
• Eating at night. After a hard day at work, you finally have time to relax. You eat dinner. Then you keep on eating at night until you go to bed. You don't need the calories but you do it anyway.
  
  
• Stress eating. Some people lose their appetite when they are stressed out. Others find themselves stress eating. Which kind of person are you?
  

• Depression and overeating. Depression is linked with overeating in many people. 


• Health conditions and drugs. There are other causes of obesity, like thyroid problems and drug side effects. Work with your doctor to find solutions to these problems.