Most people in the US and Canada need to lose weight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2007 at least 20% of the population of the US and Canada could be considered obese based on their Body Mass Index. In some regions, that number was even closer to 30%.

North America is getting fatter, but the experts can’t seem to find out why. There’s a lot of blame put on the American diet, and the vast amounts of fast food that Americans eat but is that really the reason that so many Americans are overweight or obese? It’s hard to pinpoint just one cause.

It’s ironic that a culture so obsessed with thinness and beauty has such a high percentage of overweight and obese people. Some experts claim that the national obsessions with thinness and fitness is causing people to use drugs, herbal supplements, and artificial foods in an effort to get slim when in reality those are the things that are making people fat.

The sedentary lifestyle of most North Americans plays a role in the obesity epidemic too. Experts say that everyone should get at least 30 minutes of brisk exercise per day but most people don’t get 30 minutes of brisk exercise every other day.

Regardless of the causes of this crisis the bottom line is that millions of people are trying to lose weight. Every day someone wakes up to start a new diet, or makes a commitment to get healthy, and every day someone falls off their diet, or gains back all the weight they have lost.

Millions of people have been battling their weight and their unhealthy relationships with food since childhood.

Some people have medical conditions that make it difficult for them to burn calories and lose weight. Others are on medication where weight gain is a side effect so that they have to work twice as hard to lose weight. And some people just can’t get off the fad diet roller coaster even though fad diets have been proven to be ineffective over a long period of time.

Why Is It So Hard To Lose Weight?

If you have ever struggled to lose weight you know how difficult it can be when you think you’re doing really well and eating healthy and still the pounds just don’t come off. Why is it so hard for people to lose weight?

There are a number of different factors that can make it much more difficult for some people to lose weight than others. If it’s harder for you to lose weight than it is for other people to lose weight, one of these factors might be contributing to your weight loss problem.

Medical conditions – Many people have undiagnosed medical conditions like diabetes, insulin resistance, thyroid problems, or metabolic disorders that can make it difficult for them to lose weight.

If you have tried dieting and exercise but still can’t seem to lose weight you should make an appointment with your doctor for some tests to rule out a medical problem that keeps you from losing weight.

Also, if you are taking medication for another health problem you should check out the side effects of any medications that you take. Sometimes, the medication that you take for one condition might make it hard for you to lose weight.

Portion Control – Lots of people can’t lose weight even when they think they are eating healthy because they simply don’t realize how much food they eat.

If you’re only eating healthy food but you’re eating triple the amount that you should be eating you won’t lose weight.

Portion control is crucial to weight loss success. Keeping a food diary is a great way to keep track of how much food you actually eat every day.

Breaking bad habits isn’t easy – If you have battled your weight for many years you have probably picked up some very bad eating habits.

Giving in to cravings, denying yourself meals, picking the wrong types of foods to eat or eating when you’re happy or sad or bored or lonely are all bad habits that people pick up through the years. It’s tough to break bad habits.

You have to be committed to changing your behavior for good; not just for a few weeks or a few months if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

Not exercising – If you think that you don’t need to exercise to lose weight if you watch your calorie intake, think again. Controlling your calorie intake will help you maintain your weight but if you want to lose weight the only way to burn calories is through exercise. Adding a few aerobic workouts that last more than 30 minutes per week can make a big difference in how much weight you lose.



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Filed under: Weight Loss Articles

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