March 19, 2024

fat people stay fatWhy do fat people stay fat? Sure we all know that there are a lot of people that lose and there are surely a lot of people that take diets seriously. Heck we even know that behind every get skinny for a buck plan there is someone that really does know how to stop people from getting fat by helping people lose in a healthy way.
So why are people still fat and getting fatter all the time?

Well there are several reasons that people have so much trouble keeping a healthy and I think that there are five key reasons why and how people can lose successfully and for good.

1. Fast food We have been happy to eat fast food for many years now. People still talk with pride of the first Canadian McDonalds going up down the road where I grew up in Richmond BC. The trouble with fast food is everywhere. Serving sizes are way too big, the fat level is too high, there are far too many bready carbs. And the real problem with fast food? It is getting bigger and the hold that the big fast food companies have on kids with free toys means that even parents don’t have as much say as they should have.

2. A departure from fresh fruits and veggies I don’t want to sound like some sharecropping hippie but most people if they really had to think about it have some vegetables at dinner¦if they are lucky and maybe an apple a day. Well an apple a day is not enough to keep the doctor away. Most healthy diets (except Atkins) say you should have six or more servings of fruits or vegetables in a day. How many do you have?

3. Reliance on starches Hey I am as guilty of this as anyone. I have a bagel every morning for breakfast. But if you were serious about your diet do you think that you are taking in too much breads or rice or potatoes (fried or otherwise). There is a truth that the artificially low prices for grains in north America has led to the cheapest food being overprocessed grain based foods. Economics aside a healthy diet should not probably be base on 70% of our diet being crap carbs.

4. Lack of exercise Exercise is as easy as walking to school or riding a bike to work but how many people do that anymore. Everyone has a couple of cars and the people that should walk don’t. The other problem is that there is now like never before a very rich supply of entertainment. 30 years ago there were no DVDs no video games, no TIVO and no HDTV to keeps us talking tomorrow about the great show on TV last night. 30 years ago people watched an few hours a week of TV at most and now that number is an average of a few hours of TV or internet a day. There is a really easy fix for this and that is to drive less and join clubs that allow us to exercise more, preferably in the morning. TV of course should always be optional¦and yes I probably watch too much TV myself.

5. Bouncing from diet to diet OK this one is the diet industries dream. Everyone that goes on a diet has a phase where they lose and then a phase where their body sort of shuts down, metabolism slows and the energy goes down as do the losses. Even on the best of longer term diets people lose and all of the above kick in as soon as the diet is over. ‘I’m not on a diet, I don’t need a daily workout and that muffin looks great!’ Well we all need to realize that pop culture has become the losers enemy. The sooner that you realize what you can eat for the expenditure of energy the better.

This is not an exhaustive list but I get email every day and I see people complain every day that they can not lose or keep the off. It is easy to blame the hand that puts the food in the mouth but maybe we should think a little more about how outside influences can affect how we think and feel about food and exercise.

If you are interested in stopping this cycle of losing only to gain it back then you need to make sure that you are looking at the above list, not seeking magic bullets and realizing that a diet is something that you always need to live with. Change your habits and your lifestyle and loss will not turn back into gain.

19 thoughts on “Why fat people stay fat

  1. It’s not all about fat dogg fat is an essential nutrient. Especially omega 3 fats which will turn up your metabolic rate. In men getting at least 30% of their calories from fat is recommended for high testosterone levels. Then there’s fats called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil that are said to be used as energy rather than stored. You want to consume these. Your body can turn carbs to fat too, so being fat isn’t just about eating too much fat.. Like the article said, the processed starchy foods are a problem – it’s because they make an insulin spike that makes you crave more of the same stuff later. By the same token of how fast acting processed/refined carbs are, they cause excess levels of glucose I believe (or something) in the bloodstream that is stored in cases of surplus as fat! A low fat diet is an ineffective and unhealthy way of keeping your calorie count low.

  2. There are two primary reasons why normal people get fat.

    1. They consume more calories then their body can burn. Biggest culprit is FAT. Eliminate fat, use non fat products, like non fat cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, avoid processed foods, keep your meat intake to an absolute minimum. Nuts are good food, because although they have fat, they have good fat and high fiber. Fiber will make your body work harder and help reduce absorption of fats. Eat fruit instead of deserts and try to avoid alcohol. Yes, I realize this is like eating like a bird and not social lifestyle, but it will allow you to drop fast and keep it off permanently. Also, you can enjoy occasionally when it really matters with family or friends special events. You will also adapt with no crazy diets or starvation.
    2. Typically because of work demands, they eat late and the body stores unused or too many calories. Don’t eat after 5pm, unless you plan to be up until around 11pm or later and eat minimally, not a large meal…small things. Preferably things like fruit, high fiber which will fill you up. No fats, no processed foods. Your body needs time to process food and not store it. You should wake up in the morning starving – you will also find you sleep better at night. Eat a good breakfast, that will hunger cycle and help your body regulate itself.

  3. people these days just don’t want to take responsibility for their own bodies. there really is no reason to over especially with all the advances in science. eating right and excersising will keep us healthy. instead of paying so much attention to the number on the scale look at the types of food you’re eating and the excersise you’re doing. after all we only have one body and that’s all we’ll ever have. if we don’t take care of it then who else will?

  4. I have a thyroid problem and lymphedema. I do not eat fast food and have been biking since August. I have lost a good deal of , but still have about 90 lbs to lose. I feel good about my marriage and life but I often feel that others can be very condescending towards me and I feel that I am definitely treated differently than I was when I was thinner.

    and in reply to Peter Stockwell, I really have tried to make friends with thinner people, but have often been rejected. I find that the attitude towards me is more “Why are you calling me?” than anything positive. I think a lot of heavier people start assuming that thinner people are not interested in being their friends and are judging them right off the bat. Sometimes I assume a heavier person is going to be nicer. I used to actually believe that most petite women were mean and stuck up, I know that may sound ridiculous.

  5. Part of the problem is that people’s peer groups are fat. If their family and everybody they know is fat why be the odd one out? We need an advertising campaign like there was for smoking. Obesity kills.

    1. I agree, not only that more education is needed but if everyone around you is eating a cheeseburger then you do not have a lot of reason not to eat one too.

      Peer pressure or just peer acceptance is normal and something that you have to stay on guard against

  6. over people, dont always, become fat becuase of overeating, wrong eating or lack of physical activity. Unfortunately, and often, all over people get tarnished with the same brush when it may be something totally different. Besides medical reasons, one reason can also be, that the person may have been abused or injured in his or her past. This then resulted in comfort eating, and it made the sufferer, take comfort in eating to help relax the mind. Weight sometimes, is a coverage for people who have been hurt physically and or mentally. It protects them, and especially if the pain came from the opposite sex or someone you trusted. Lack of confidence, self esteem issues and anxiety also can result in gain. There are those that over eat and those that stop eating. Carrying and especially if you know its making you ill, may mean, that the obese person may need someone to help them overcome what is troubling them. Not all fat people eat all day and are sloppy. I can tell you, because I am one of those people and my would have come off long time ago, if I had someone to listen to what my problem was. I bottled it all up, and in the end, my body stopped working properly and I gained enormous due to it. Today, I am on the mend.

  7. I wish people would take better care of themselves. It seems more people are getting uglier and fatter. Yes,I’m still skinny w/ 2 kids and can fit a 2-4 jeans. Quick advice change food to fresh veggies, whole grain, lean meat and no processed crap and no soda. No increasing calorie in take!

  8. Sometimes I think it’s just that they feel so hopeless. They know how much work and change they are going to have to do and so they just say, “whatever”. It isn’t so much that they don’t care, it’s just that they feel like they don’t want to bother. They aren’t happy, but they aren’t motivated either. That’s how some of my friends are and sometimes I am too. I’m ok with me the way I am so why bother? you know?

    Thank you.

  9. Eating foods from the supermarkets are most likely to be the down fall of our dieting. If the preservatives in the foods keep the food from spoiling,think about what those chemicals are doing to our bodies. Eating those vegies are the way to go. We feel better look better and live longer. Teaching our children to rely on what is good for us is an education that they really need these days.

  10. Our lifestyles these days tend to want to seek the fast service and conveniences. Stopping by for a quick burger at McDonalds takes the work out of slaving in a hot kitchen. The fact is that we have gotten lazy, and even taking time to cook a meal is a type of exercise. So when burgers are at the tip of our fingers, we blot out the exercise also. e need to get back to basics,eating home grown foods and sharing a good home cooked meal with our friends and family.

  11. I have some friends who say that their diabetes is whats keeping them fat! It may be that their diabetes combined with some of the other reasons you posed is the real culprit.

  12. In addition to those you mentioned, the lack of motivation and dieting for the wrong reasons are among the whys of Why fat people stay fat.

  13. i work out eat about 6 times a day moderate healthy meals get 7 to 8 hours of sleep lift s and go for walks 4 miles a day 4 times per week . yet i cant seem to get my beck fat off and my belly fat . i do work my back and my abs. why am i still chuncky

  14. I am married to an obese person and yet I am in the top 1% of my age group. I have tried everything to help my wife and I don’t know what to do anymore. Her knees are giving her issues now and she has a very small frame. She is in excess of 150-200 pounds over . I sum it up to this “comfort and choice”.
    If they don’t want to change, they won’t no matter what you say or do to help. Can’t even be convinced by the doctor.

  15. and fear of the unknown.

    dont wanna hijack your blog (and this great post) but I saw so often that the PAIN OF THE KNOWN was so much more alluring for my clients than change.

    MizFit

  16. I think one of the biggest factors is they are unrealistic. Having worked in the industry now for many years, too many people spend years and years working themselves out of shape. They then come into a job and set an unrealistic goal of getting back into the shape that they haven’t seen in years, in only 2-3 months.

    They seem to always go for the “home run” when it comes to diets and in the end always come back to where they began because the program was so extreme that it couldn’t be adopted to their regular lifestyle.

    Thanks again for the blog. Keep up the great work!

  17. Oh man, there are so many reasons that fat people stay fat. You pretty much hit it on the head with your main points. Fast food, lack of exercise, and fad dieting are primary reasons why people stay fat. They just don’t seem to want to stick to a plan that works. Feel free to connect with me at Project Swole.

    Also, there is a new top sites website out called Top Sites Fitness. It is more than just a top sites website however, as there will be regular posts about search engine optimization and traffic monetization for fitness blogs and communities. You are invited to join us! Have a nice day. =)

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