Obesity, a lifestyle choice?

[Big-D 0]

See article at: food choices and develop bad eating habits that lead to less mobility with end result being obesity, but I don't think anyone, other than an offensive lineman, wants to be obese.

[Wheetsin 714]

I would agree that well-balanced people do not want to be obese. There are certainly some folks out there who truly put effort into becoming and staying obese, but that stems from a lot more than "I want to be obese' -- much deeper issues there.

I also think there's a lot more at play than bad food choices. Most obese people have skewed concepts of portions, and are consciously incompetent when it comes to planning good meals. Certainly that plays a role, and denial can be a very, very strong force.

However, I think that most people who are obese are so because they get something out of it. When I say this, it's often misunderstood as "People want to be obese" -- but getting something out of some situation that makes it worthewhile, and wanting to be in that situation, are very different. For example, look at how many people stay in bad relationships. They know the relationships are not good for them, and want to be able to leave, but they just can't do it. Whether it's a relationship with a person, a substance, food, a belief -- doesn't matter, the same principles apply. Look at drug addicts. They hate their lives, but when given the opportunity to change it, usually decline or at least resist because they're so afraid of being without their vice.

A lot of people use food and lifestyle, and therefore obesity, as a source of comfort, or a source of control, or of power, or of rebellion, and the list goes on.

I think people are successful at overcomong obesity when the drive, desire, and perceived outcomes around the roots of their obesity no longer offer more than losing the weight can. Let's take someone who used food as a constant control, because human relationships were so unstable and unpredictable. Their doctor tells them, "Lost weight or you will die." At that point, the person needs to decide whether the psychological gains of food/obesity outweigh life. Sometimes it does, sometimes it does not.

This is why having a good, experienced psychologist, with clinical background in addiction studies or weightloss, linked in to any weightloss effort can really, really change the outcomes.

All just IMO of course.