Which factor is linked to obesity?

• A. Hypertension
• B. Tobacco use
• C. Obesity
• D. Age

Answer: (B)

Age is linked to obesity because obesity prevalence tends to rise as people get older. With aging, resting metabolic rate often declines, lean muscle mass decreases, and many individuals become less physically active. If caloric intake remains the same or increases, the energy balance shifts toward fat storage, increasing the likelihood of obesity.

Hypertension commonly coexists with obesity, but it is more of a consequence or associated condition rather than a primary factor that increases obesity itself. Tobacco use tends to be associated with lower body weight due to nicotine's appetite-suppressing effects, and weight gain is more likely after quitting smoking, not from current tobacco use. Obesity, while the condition described, isn't a separate factor that links to itself in the way age is.