Why is it Such a Struggle to Stay Slim?

Obesity is an issue in many developed nations, with more and more people becoming obese and developing weight-related health problems, which is putting health services under great strain. Although there are individuals who seem to have no difficulty staying slim, for many others it is extremely difficult. Perhaps, it should come as no surprise in a society where there are so many opportunities to eat calorific food and to avoid any kind of physical activity, as well as the societal expectations about weight, beauty and success which exist.

It is a slim physique that is most admired in the Western world, but with greater numbers of obese individuals, many people are left feeling dissatisfied with their appearance. However, instead of taking steps to lose weight there are plenty of individuals who turn to food. Junk food, in particular, can give you a boost because it is crammed full of sugar that gives you a high and makes you want more. This type of food is also calorific, though, and so whilst it might make you feel better about your situation temporarily, in the long run it will only make it worse.

Fast food is everywhere you go and it is so cheap that it is easy to give into temptation. Even though you know it is bad for you, you are aware of how good it tastes. When all your friends and relatives regularly eat junk food and fast food, you soon get into the habit of doing so, too, unless you actually make a real effort to stop yourself. You may not see the point in doing so, though, because eating junk food in large quantities becomes your normality. If this is normal to you, you may not even question what your eating habits are doing to your weight and your health.

What makes the situation worse is that if you don't do any exercise, you won't be burning as many calories as you could if you went for a run every day or took up a sport. If exercise isn't a normal part of your day, then you have to make the effort to get out of your comfort zone and do something that requires you to expend a bit of energy. If all you do is drive everywhere and sit around watching television all of the time, clearly you can't expect to eat whatever you want and not gain weight.

The only way to avoid weight gain is to find the right balance between the amount of calories you consume and the amount your body expends. This is something many people are failing to do, which may be because they don't care that much or it could be that they are ignorant of how their weight could affect their health or of the habits which are needed to remain slim. Either way, in a society where high-calorie food is readily available for relatively little cost and where you don't have to do any exercise if you prefer not to, weight gain is inevitable unless you take action to control your weight.