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> accept that obesity is due to overeating? That's a tautology, the question is why. What causes overeating and why do some people have great difficulty with i

• an_account 10y ago
  Addiction. Mental willpower. Emotional connections to food. If you can't start tracking calories and reducing intake yourself, then you should probably seek professional help. One issue is that many people don't see it as a health or lifestyle problem, and make endless excuses for why they can't possibly lose weight, ignoring advice from medical professionals.
  • dxhdr 10y ago
    Would you also describe depression as a lack of mental willpower? Why not? Normal bodies don't require calorie tracking, the brain automatically signals the body to stop eating; no effort required. This system is broken in some people, their brain tells them they are hungry even after consuming too many calories. What causes this malfunction?
    • bluecalm 10y ago
      >>Normal bodies don't require calorie tracking Why not? It's a skill necessary to adapt to circumstances our bodies didn't evolve in (that is constant and unlimited access to food). It's only natural that we need new skills to function in new environment. For example it's safe to assume that for most of human history people didn't have an option to eat whenever they are hungry while today you can always dial-in a pizza. It's expected that those mechanisms, which were shaped in times where food was scarce or at least not being as easily and quickly available, don't work that well today. >>What causes this malfunction? Unlimited exposure and access to rich and calorie dense food? I mean, it's not rocket science.
      • taejo 10y ago
        >>>Normal bodies don't require calorie tracking > Why not? It's a skill necessary to adapt to circumstances our bodies didn't evolve in (that is constant and unlimited access to food) Perhaps not normal bodies, but certainly some bodies. I don't count calories. Sometimes I eat ridiculously large meals. Sometimes I snack on calorie-dense foods all day. But my weight has been basically constant since I stopped getting taller. Although I haven't measured it, it must be that I'm compensating by eating less (or at least less energy-dense) on other days. I do this without trying, or even thinking about it: I simply eat as much as I want to, whenever. When other people do the same, they gain weight. Obviously, they're eating more calories than they're burning, and I'm not, but why?
        • bluecalm 10y ago
          Sure, some bodies don't, some bodies do. There is nothing natural about the body ability to eat whenever it feels like and as much it feels like and not get fat. A lot of cats and dogs will get fat if we give them unlimited access to food as well and others won't (well, at least some cats won't). Humans are not special snowflakes.
          • taejo 10y ago
            > Sure, some bodies don't, some bodies do. This completely ignores the interesting question, though.