I agree. It's not just one thing, it is multiple things that add up to obesity and our lifestyles are at the top of the list. Now a days, people sit behind a computer all day long, while back 40-50 years ago, people were working more physical jobs.

I know for myself, I have gained a few pounds since getting older and it is only because I eat more and don't watch my portions, not what I eat.

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Not at all. What we came away with was the fact that we were poor and had to eat certain things, and rich people got the good stuff. We, of course, know what is good/bad, and we all struggle to eat right. But we still have issues with portion control, and I think that partially comes from not always having enough when we were kids. And, the whole "food is love" thing.

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So, just so I understand Mari, you are saying that by your parents providing you with healthful eating habits and living by example, that was not effective? Did they NOT allow you to EVER have sweets?

I guess I am concerned about this because dh and I are VERY careful about what we give our kids. Yes, they do eat sweets but we try to make sure they get very limited exposure to that stuff. We tell them the reasons why though. They know it's bad for their teeth, it's bad for their bodies if they eat too much of it. Our message is also reinforced when they see "Captain Carlos" on the Disney Channel!!! Our boys will tell us at birthday parties when they are eating cake that they should only have one piece or they will get an upset tummy.


I see that as a success on our part as parents.

This is a tricky topic for me. I am technically obese (BMI 30.5). I have struggled with my weight since college. I exercise 4-5 days a week (yoga/pilates and cardio). It just won't come off, or if it does it is about a pound a month. I think that the only reason it was in check in high school was because I played 3 sports and literally exercised for 3 hours a day (2:30-5:30) and had tournaments on the weekends. And in high school, I wasn't exactly a lightweight, on the high side of average. For me, I think it is a biological reason, not either laziness, lack of motivation, or lack of education. I eat pretty well, better than many of my friends who are very skinny. It is so frustrating. So please don't assume that a person's weight is entirely because of bad choices or laziness.

I think it is a variety of factors. Dh and I deliberately do not harp on body size or eat this/don't eat that with our kids. Growing up, my dad was super, super concerned that my sisters and I not become overweight. One night when I was 13, I was hungry after dinner and sat down at the breakfast bar to eat an orange. My dad saw me and made a big deal out of the fact that I'd eaten dinner and was now eating again. According to him if I kept eating like that I would end up fat. He was of the opinion that overweight people were of no value whatsoever. The worst thing you could do was become overweight.

That was the start of an eating disorder for me that lasted into my early twenties. Dad was the last person to acknowledge that I was dangerously underweight. Even after he did, he was much more concerned that when I did gain weight, I didn't gain "too much weight." He even had a set weight in pounds that I should weigh- and I should not go one ounce over!

As an adult I exercise moderately, but do not diet at all ever. Nor do I overeat. I am a normal weight, but that is due largely to my metabolism, which has always been pretty high for my age.

I am so sorry to read this.

Honestly, I don't think you hit on the reasons at all. While genetics may play a role, I don't think it is really what is responsible for obesity. I also don't think it is laziness, lack of motivation or even lack of education. I feel that it is more mental. I think that poor self image is one of the causes of obesity. (Always feeling the need to live up the society's standards of beauty for example). I also think that addiction to sugar plays a role. Our society is moving so fast now adays and people are eating many more processed foods. These foods are high in sugar and are a leading cause of obesity. Food companies add sugar to their products because they know that the body craves it and by doing so, consumers will be compelled to buy their product again. Also, stress is a contributing factor. While it is true that some people eat less when stressed, there are many who eat more. This creates a viscious cycle of eating, feeling bad, eating more, etc. Of course, these are just my opinions .

I agree 100%!

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I am convinced that there is a chemical component to weight loss and hunger suppression.

There are a lot of uneducated and lazy thin people in the world too!

Marlene

People forget there are things like PCOS(Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and Hypothyroidism that can make it very hard for a person to lose weight.
I also know some people who were never allowed certain foods growing up(fast food, sweets,etc) and are now overweight adults because the minute they were living on their own they were eating that stuff like crazy.

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"Go on, get outside, get the stink blown off ya!!"