The Complex Nature of Obesity.

The Complex Nature of Obesity and Sustainable Weight Loss

In our fast-forward world of instant gratification, because of the complex nature of obesity, finding a sustainable weight loss program that actually works—or an approach to weight loss that’s healthy for your body—can feel like yet another personal challenge on top of losing weight.

For those willing to invest the effort to achieve a healthy weight, the reward should be the ability to attain and maintain both an appearance and healthy physical condition you can be proud of.

The first step to achieving that goal, however, requires understanding the complex nature of how and why our bodies acquire and hold on to certain patterns. (Read more about our bodies and patterns in my article, Our Three Brains.)

News reports daily confirm that obesity is an ever-growing and complex problem in the Western world and a major (and growing) risk factor in many chronic and serious illnesses. Despite a flood of diets and low-fat foods, those eating a Western diet, in particular, continue to add unwanted extra pounds of fat.

Yet time and time again, the focus of weight-loss programs is on calorie reduction and achieving a “quick fix”. In truth, many here-today, gone-tomorrow diets are poorly designed, nutritionally deficient and fail to take into consideration the “wholeness” of which we are made up. (Read more about “wholeness” in An Integrated Approach to Wellness.)

The factors affecting and contributing to difficult-to-shift weight gain are variable and complex: they may include such issues as

• hormonal imbalances,
• chronic stress,
• insulin resistance,
• toxicity and
• inflammation.

Other  important factors to consider, that are frequently overlooked,are the roles played by our emotions and our mindset.

• Low self-esteem,
• perfectionism, conflicting and self-sabotaging beliefs systems
• feelings of anxiety and of being overwhelmed
• are frequently overlooked and may mask factors that contribute to “emotional eating”.

If they speak to these issues at all, the majority of weight-loss programs do not address them in enough depth to have a lasting effect.

 A primary need for sustainable weight-loss success is to, identify what your real hunger is.

If you’re seeking lasting sustainable weight loss that is healthy, it’s important to understand, what it is you’re truly “hungry for”, and  to uncover any subconscious, self-sabotaging beliefs that may be contributing to your eating patterns and maintenance of a healthy weight. Only then can you look forward to ending your battle with emotional eating.

Healthy sustainable loss of fat requires that mindset, dietary and lifestyle changes be made in tandem.

If the underlying and driving factors of weight gain are not addressed, the disappointing truth is that lasting weight loss and body composition changes may not be attainable.

Weight loss is far more than a cosmetic issue: it is a serious matter of caring and taking responsibility for your personal health. You deserve no less.

For further reading on this topic, see also Why Dieting & Deprivation Can Make You Fat and Our Three Brains.