Random thoughts on dieting and weight loss

Within the last week or so, I have been confronted by two people about the value of body cleansing for improved health and weight loss. This is not something I have thought much about. When I listen to folks talk about it, I can understand the concepts but is what they say accurate? Is it really effective? Is this just another fad that will come and go? I do not know. I guess it is worth at least looking at.

It is no secret that a great number of folks in our country are overweight. And I am right up there with the best of them. There are a lot of factors that affect a person’s weight and ability to maintain it within a reasonable range. And these factors can change over time.

Diets come and go in popularity and for many people, their accomplishments dissolve soon after their dieting efforts do. Weight loss is about more than just eating. And if a person is going to be successful in their weight loss pursuits, they need to examine more than their eating habits. In my opinion, they need to look at exercise, family traits and history, medical conditions, life goals and ambitions, living conditions, etc. Eating healthy balanced meals can become expensive if you plan to include lots of fresh fruits, veggies and salads. Eating in restaurants and fast food joints will pack on the pounds. This can be attributed to food preparation and portion sizes. Exercise is key but how many people work multi-jobs and find little time for exercise? How many folks deliberately make time to exercise? How many people wish they could exercise but can’t due to physical limitations?

Heavy people are discriminated against. Qualified people can and do get overlooked for certain jobs due to their appearance/weight. Have you noticed the plus sizes are always more expensive? Have you ever noticed the location of the Women’s department? It is not right but it happens all the time. People can be cruel. Overweight folks don’t start out saying they can’t wait to gain weight. They don’t deliberately try to gain weight with the hopes of becoming obese. Yet they are often looked down on and berated because they are heavy. Why do you think that is?