This is a question healthy and in shape individuals must ponder all the time. After all, they are in shape…how hard could it be?

Well, I can answer this question very simply. WE LOVE FOOD!

People who do not struggle with their weight simply see food as a necessity to stop their hunger pangs. Overweight people however have an addiction to food. Some people might think what I am about to say is a bit far fetched but I believe that food addiction is the hardest of all to break! My simple reasoning is that we all need food. We cannot live without it. This is like asking someone who is struggling with alcoholism to have just half a beer, 3 times a day!

Like alcohol binges, many overweight dieters often binge eat enough to feed a whole family in Africa…for a month! No wonder people diet for years and actually look fatter! Food is everywhere and is needed, our will power is constantly working overtime with cravings coming in left right and centre, and no matter how strong we are, eventually we succumb to the pressure.

Overweight individuals seem to have a greater appreciation for food. The various tastes, textures and scents. Food makes us more comfortable in times of tiredness and stress. It helps us enjoy more of situations, whether it’s walking along the beach with your girlfriend while eating an ice-cream, enjoying a large home cooked meal with family, a BBQ with friends on a beautiful summer’s day or a pizza with friends while watching the footy (I could go on forever!)

Not only do we love the taste of food, we absolutely love feeling FULL! We love overeating and feeling satisfied or to a better extent…stuffed!

Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures, forms of enjoyment and relaxation for many overweight individuals.

So can you imagine how hard it would be for one of us to give up not only overeating, but the freedom to enjoy our favourite foods. It is almost impossible for the vast majority of us to not only drastically reduce or calorie intake, but to also dramatically change what we eat to super healthy. This is unrealistic and unachievable.

Its not as simple as stop eating that, or stop eating so much

So next time you see someone struggling with their weight, I hope you can appreciate what they are going through.