Not to knock anyone, *however* I can't but help question your supposition that overweight people who got that way at least partially by intentionally eating a lot are in the minority.

I think overweight and obesity tend to be multifactored diseases. Some people their overweight is a cut and dry issue: they are fat because of a metabolism disease. They are fat because of emotional eating. Or, they are fat simply because they like eating because it's a hobby for them. However, I think the majority of overweight people are overweight because of 1 or all of those factors.

I know this is true in my case. While it is true I DID have metabolic issues which undoubtedly caused a lot of my weight problem either directly (hyperinsulinemia making fat burning impossible/very hard) or indirectly (desire for food excessive), I am *not* going to lie and say I didn't over eat or ate very healthfully.

I certainly did over eat. My worst habit, by far, was my sweet drink addiction. That alone probably contributed to a sizable portion of my excess pounds. I refused to drink diet drinks, I drank full sugar juices only ... and several cups daily. Sure I was addicted to it which is technically a physical problem, still I made the conscious *choice* to feed that addiction when I had the option to break it, simply because I preferred the taste of sugar to aspartame/water. Also, I tended to eat until I was very full. Even though I never did the thing where you grab a bag of chips and eat the whole bag on the couch, I DID eat far too large food portions at meals at times.
Yes, even though I did eat a fairly "decent" diet that complied mostly with the food pyramid (I ate lots of plant foods and meat, I did not live off of junk food), I was *no stranger* to my junkfood. I ate takeout on average of once a week, or once every other week. I would sometimes have meals comprised of a glass of milk and cookies too (think: 16 ounces of milk + 6 oreos with a hostess snack cake! Ugh!).

So even though I do think physical problems out of my control at least partly contributed to my weight, my choices did pile on the pounds as well. Also, it's important to remember that unhealthy eating habits cause the physical problems too. Eating too many calories on purpose WILL cause the high insulin levels, at least to a degree. It is uncertain to me exactly how much of the physical metabolic problems I have were caused by genetics/normal environment, and how much of it I caused by eating poorly.

Anyway, what I am saying is that for most overweight people I think this is a multifactored issue, and the more complex your weight problem appears to be, the more complex the causes are as well. While I am sure there are many unfortunate overweight people out there who got larger even though they were doing everything right simply because of physical problems, I don't think most overweight people fall into this category. If the obese & overweight were that way primarily because of physical disease, overweight wouldn't be more common today in our junkfood, convenience - lifestyle saturated environment than in the past.

Thank you! Of course YOUR success is considerably more impressive.

I love exercise, always have. Probably it's the only reason I didn't get bigger than I did. And I of course do watch calories - at my current activity levels I am losing 1-1.5 pounds a week at 1500 calories a day. I switch to 2K on the weekends to give the metabolism a boost, but stay 'on plan' with reduced carbs and increased protein (40 30 30).

However, I think lower carb programs are great and would never put them down! I am trying to keep my husband on his right now. He does well but tends to eat too many 'frankenfoods' - an entire box of low carb ice cream sandwiches at a sitting is not 'low carb'. /sigh.

There lies the problem with this discussion as others have pointed out. Low fat types cannot eat snackwells by the box and lose weight (IMO) just like low carbers can't sit down with a few boxes of 'carbwells' (or whatever they are called)..

I love this board. It's the best diet board around with all these discussions.

Since people have kept talking about this, I'd like to share something.

When I was 13, I went to Weight Watchers. This was back before the whole point system. I went to a couple teen meetings, and I followed this little book that the dietician had filled out for me. I was meticulous. I measured everything. I gained weight.

At my weigh in, the dietician asked if I had followed the diet, and I said yes. She didn't believe me, and told me there wasn't any point to lying.

I stuck with it for a few months, going to meetings and measuring my food. They even brought me to the lowest calorie consumption that was safe for my age, and I was going to aerobics twice a week. I still didn't lose. I was only 35 pounds overweight at the time, but I don't think I was ashamed of it until I started WW.

I've tried the low fat thing, even going vegetarian for 5 years. I just kept gaining. I even tried WW points a few years back. I was really hungry and hypoglycemia gave me anxiety attacks. I didn't lose.

Now, for the first &#~$ing time in my life, I'm losing weight on Atkins. I'm consuming about 2000 calories a day, and I'm losing weight. I've never lost weight before in my life, but it's happening now. I don't think I could possibly say that enough.

Maybe everyone has the same human physiology, just not me?

I lost about 60 lbs. low fat/low cal....i have this huge appetite. Atkins supports that for me lol....even if i'm not losing, i'd rather be eating a lot and not gaining hehe. I also have PCOS and I now get my period on a pretty regular basis because of the switch to LC. Each man/woman for him/herself, I always say! LOL

How can everyone be so hypocritical? We get mad when people question us for being on low carb. When they say that its unhealthy and our cholesterol is going to go sky high.

Why are you going to do the same to someone on low cal or low fat? Let them be. If it works for them then why are you arguing that they shouldn't do it.

Let everyone have their own beliefs and ideals. This planet would be a better place!!

Wildcard...just need to respond to the China, Japan, Africa thing. "If carbs are the source of weight gain, then why is it that nations who eat tons of carbs are generally low weight? China, Japan, most countries in africa? etc"


All of those countries named are experiencing noticed weight gain as more and more processed foods become available. Especially Japan and China in the urban areas.

I worked with a staff of about 50 asians at a 5 star hotel in housekeeping for over 2 years...I can tell you that 2/3 of them were overweight...and those that weren't ate a very typical TRUE asian menu of protein and veggies...with a SMALL amount of rice. I watched what they ate in the cafeterias and ate with them at "dim sum" in china town(PS: true chicken fingers are honest to god chicken feet ...their food is VERY different than what you might think...no batters etc)...I talked often about their foods and lives with them. Many of the foods that they now eat are only eaten here...not in china. They simply didnt have access to the flours, sweets, etc that they can get (and afford) while living here.

Most of those countries NEVER ate a high amount of carbs...that's simply an attribute assigned by us. In all of those countries...they eat far more veggies and protein than carbs...carbs simply arent readily available and are HARD WORK for the peasant class (the majority) to process.

If you'd like to look at a culture that has a history of eating a high carb diet...take Italy...a country with an inarguable weight problem throughout its society.

Just wanted to make a note.

Not sure about that. Certain practictioners are touting the traditional mediterranean diet, which includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken, olive oil, yogurt, cheese, and wine, citing lower rates of heart disease, stroke, and obesity in Greece and southern Italy. Whether it makes sense to try to replicate this diet in the U.S. without the traditionally accompanying exercise is another question.

Agreed...should have specified northern Italy...some of the primary benefits touted by the mediteranean diet are from olive oil (lots), garlic, wine, and use of red meat only once or twice a month. Northern italy eats a bit differently but...point made. Something else that I should have been mentioned is that they are, as a rule, a VERY active people (esp in the med)and the problems with weight tend to be those who tend the home and or no longer work (women and older folks). This is not a phenomena common in China or Africa so...still standing by my earlier post. Given a northen italian woman who is sedentary (relatively) on northern italian food vs A Chinese woman who is sedentary on a typical asian diet(in the same income range) You are far more likely to find weight gain in the Italian (God bless them...love their food...my Nana was right off the boat).

"Thousands of *individuals* have lost weight on low calorie/low fat diets."

Yes, and 95% of them gain the weight back because it is very difficult for most people to maintain that way of eating. I find the low carb WOE extremely easy to maintain.