肥胖是全球引起死亡的第五大風險因子，並造成個人代謝相關疾病及國家醫療財政負擔。造成肥胖的因素很多，可分為遺傳及基因因素、環境因素、生活型態因素、內分泌或藥物因素，本文旨在以三個層面來探討環境及生活型態因素對台灣近年來肥胖率增加的影響。(1)家庭層面：探討家庭社經地位、家庭生活品質、父母體型、飲食習慣變遷及靜態活動增長和肥胖的關係。(2)學校層面：探討運動時間減少及升學壓力造成睡眠時間減少和肥胖的關係。(3)社會層面：探討西式速食、含糖飲料、媒體廣告影響及肥胖稅和肥胖的關係。本文回顧現有文獻及統計資料並提出可行的解決方案，以期政府能透過政策執行來改善影響國民健康甚鉅的肥胖問題。

Obesity is the fifth leading risk factor of death globally. Obesity causes diseases related to metabolic syndrome individually and creates medical and financial burdens nationally. Many factors contribute to obesity including factors classified as hereditary or genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and endocrine or medical in nature.
The aim of this paper is to explore the effects of environmental and lifestyle factors on the increasing obesity rates in Taiwan in recent years using three components. (1) Family component: to discuss the relationship between family socioeconomic status, quality of family life, parental body stature, changes in dietary habits and increased sedentary activity and obesity. (2) School component: to explore the relationship between decreased exercise and sleep deprivation due to academic pressure and obesity. (3) Societal component: to explore the relationship between Western-style fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages, the impact of mass media, fat tax and obesity. In this paper, we review existing literature and available statistics and propose potentially feasible solutions to the issue of obesity in hopes that through governmental policy implementation, this significant health problem in the people of Taiwan can be ameliorated.