Comment by ozim
20 hours ago
I think your comment is somewhat on track.
"general population doesn't have the discipline for it" — only that this feels somewhat condescending.
Let's agree that counting macros or going for calorie deficit is hard if it is not someones job. General population has other jobs, family, social life, other hobbies they enjoy more than fitness. It is not "just eat less" it is "spend considerable amount of time thinking about and planning your eating".
On the individual level it is a discipline problem. But the fact it has become an individual discipline problem is exactly the core issue.
If you turn things into individual discipline problems then surprise you get population level issues. As you pointed out people have other things to focus willpower on thats not this.
The fault, as it often does, lies in marketing. Turns out heavily marketed, hyper palatable food, designed to be minimally satiating so you maximally over eat is great for profits and terrible for obesity.
> it is "spend considerable amount of time thinking about and planning your eating".
Nonsense. It doesn't take any more time. Just buy unprocessed, basic food, fruit and veg. When you open your cupboard, cook something tasty from what you have.
When you go to the supermarket, just don't walk into the aisles with snacks. Don't buy anything laden with sugar and fat.
Get into the habit of drinking black coffee instead of Starbucks' calorific drinks; it takes less than a week for your taste buds to adjust.
It's not rocket science. Just most people don't want to admit that every excess 100 calories they eat adds 11 grams of fat to their middle. Which adds up week by week, year by year.
How many kids do you have, do you have help or you need to take care of elderly parents while also taking care of kids. How much do you have to work, you work from home or do you have to commute? What is your level of stress?
Because for me it sounds like you might have awful lot of time to figure out your life.
In my previous and current post I am writing about an average person. I am pretty well off myself — what I was writing about I am far from dropping advice "just do X" on less fortunate. Because what is easy: "writing someone should do XYZ".
This. If I cook a meal with mostly veg and lean meat, I can't overeat. I'll feel full fairly quickly and, most importantly, not think about food 2 hours later.
But even with this kind of food, if I figure "sure, lemme have a sugary ice-cream", two hours later I'll be looking around the fridge and cupboards for some "quick bite".
Just don't buy this crap. I find it's much, much easier to have none at all than to hope to be "reasonable" and only eat a bit.
> Just buy unprocessed, basic food, fruit and veg.
I have the problem that I absolutely abhor most fruit and veg and would rather not eat anything (which you can do for a couple of days at most). It's hard to get full on onions and sundried tomatoes.