The Reality of Dieting

Making changes to dietary habits is one of the first strategies used by individuals with obesity to lose weight. Despite initial short-term success in weight loss, maintaining the lost weight over the long term remains a significant challenge. For example, among adults in the United States who have ever experienced overweight or obesity, fewer than 10% have maintained a weight loss of at least 15–20%.

Although nearly all weight-loss diets are associated with weight reduction within six months, weight regain is a common outcome because most diets do not address the biological, social, environmental, and psychological causes of obesity.

Research has consistently shown that obesity does not simply result from a deficiency in an individual’s character or a lack of motivation to change. Rather, obesity is

Biological factors include genetics, epigenetics, and hormonal imbalances.

Psychological factors include depression, anxiety, negative emotions, and stress.

Social and environmental factors, such as cultural beliefs, socioeconomic conditions, and the availability and affordability of food, also play an important role in the development of obesity (Williams et al., 2015).influenced by a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors.