Irene Rubaum-Keller has some interesting observations on Huffington Post about the responses of people who have trouble losing weight.
I am seeing a strong trend lately in the literature, and the comments to blogs, that disturbs me. I hear angry people who have trouble losing weight getting mad at those of us who are experts in the field because we are saying things they don’t want to hear.
And what is it that they don’t want to hear? It’s that their actions are responsible for their obesity.
The studies show that obese people eat more than thin people, bottom line. Many people often underestimate both the portion sizes and the calories in the foods they eat.
There are two points to be made here. One, that most overweight people do not have a clear idea of what they are eating. They have a hard time facing it.
It can be tough. You have certain foods you like and you have certain habits. You don’t want to give up your treats and your late night snacks.
The second point is that overweight people do underestimate what they are eating. Well done scientific studies have shown quite clearly that overweight people are eating enough calories to make them overweight.
It’s not that the universe is against them, or that there is something strange occurring so they gain weight for no reason. The laws of physics apply to everyone, and if you take in more than you burn you gain weight.
I once went to a weight loss doctor when I was heavy and couldn’t seem to lose weight. I thought I was only eating 1,200 calories a day and exercising a lot. Despite that, I weighed 175 lbs.
It turned out that I was actually consuming closer to 2,000 calories a day.
This is fairly typical. I hear people all the time say, “But I don’t eat that much.” And it’s probably true. They’re not eating tremendous quantities. But they are eating a few hundred calories extra each day, and that’s enough to pack on the pounds.
So, if you’re overweight you can do something about it. Just don’t blame the messenger.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/irene-rubaumkeller-/the-psychology-of-weight_b_635754.html
