Are you one of the millions suffering from health problems? Or do you fear that you may become a victim in the future? Being overweight with an increased risk of diabetes is a fact for two out of every three people. If you are not personally affected then you will know someone who is.
How have we arrived in this state? It is not as if we do not recognize the problem. It is widely reported in the new. Plus, there is no shortage of advice. Many people try to do something about it and start a diet. But, most people do not get the results they want and the problem is growing worse. So, what factors could be involved that would explain this?
The first reason is that most people do not think that it applies to them. We have the ability to believe something applies to other people but rationalize it away when we consider ourselves. Or, we make excuses for ourselves.
Secondly, when we think about an issue what really matters to us is how we compare to our friends and colleagues. We judge ourselves by comparing our lives and health with that of our friends and family. We tend not to measure ourselves against strangers. For example, for most people it doesn't really matter how much they earn provided they earn 25% more than their best friends. So, if we are healthier or less overweight than our friends we worry about it less.
Two other factors that are contributing to a decline in health is the growing trend towards the need for instant results and a reduction in personal responsibility. Food provides an instant gratification when we eat it but becoming healthy takes time and discipline. Many people are waiting for the discovery of the magical pill that guarantees instant health rather than take action and see it through with persistence and effort.
Many of today's health problems are being attributed to the long term consequences of our diet. In short, if we are increasingly overweight and unhealthy what are we doing wrong? It's a very important question because many people think they are doing the right thing. Many people are following the advice they read but they are not getting the results they expected.
Logically there are two conclusions. One is that they are eating more than they need. The second option is that they are eating the wrong things.
Let's look at the first possibility. Most people accept that they will put on weight if they eat too much. That is why they start a diet and/or take up exercise. But one aspect that is normally overlooked in this is the individual's metabolism. It is not a constant. Some people can eat a lot and not put on weight while others who eat the same amount pile on the pounds. If their metabolism slows when they diet they can find that they do not lose the weight they expected.
The second option of eating the wrong things needs to be looked at in more detail by scientists. It does appear highly ironic that the number of overweight people has grown during a period when there is an increasing number of low and fat free products. So, until we learn what may be triggering this we should look back at what and how previous generations were eating. Analyzing the best of what they were eating has identified a number of super foods.
