Obesity is not a sign that a person is out of control or lazy. There are many factors that can lead to this chronic disease:

• Lacking an “energy balance,” meaning your body relies too heavily on the food that you eat for energy. This causes you to eat more food than your body needs in relation to your metabolism and activity level.
  
  
• Having a family history of obesity.
  
  
• Eating and social habits, such as consuming an unbalanced diet, snacking between meals and not getting enough physical activity.
  
  
• Having contributing psychological factors, such as social or emotional eating.
  

Any one of a combination of these factors can lead to obesity. As science continues to search for the answers, morbidly obese individuals must strive to understand how to treat their conditions in the most effective ways.