Why are there so Many Weight-Related Stories in the Media?

It seems that you can't go for a day without coming across a story about obesity, how to lose weight, weight-loss successes and failures, as well as stories concerning other weight-related issues. Has the issue of weight always been this prevalent in the media? It certainly seems that weight has become an issue to preoccupy the minds of newspaper editors, television programme commissioners and anyone else involved in the media. Nowadays, there is news 24/7, which you can catch on television and online, so something has to fill the time! Plus, there is an obsession with celebrity culture, which clearly feeds into the way people perceive themselves, including their appearance and, thus, size.

It is evident that there is a market for weight-related stories, as otherwise news sites would stop publishing them and documentaries about weight would no longer be made. However, as it stands, when you're constantly told how fat society is getting and how being fat is bad for your health and overall well-being, of course you're going to start looking at your own weight and wondering whether you should do something to lose a few pounds. You're constantly shown pictures of what you 'should' look like and told how much you 'should' weigh and alongside this you're shown advertisements for fitness DVDs and diet books.

Weight is often a topic for discussion amongst friends and relatives. When you're with friends you can find yourself talking about which diet you're on and how you really need to lose weight. Even if you and your friends are all slim, you can end up talking about all the foods you can and can't eat and how much exercise you have to do to keep the weight off. It can almost become competitive - who restricts themselves the most? Who does the most exercise?

Then, there are all those celebrities who gain and lose weight all the time. They're a good topic for discussion and it's always interesting to look at pictures of their 'transformation.' Of course, with photoshop and other various editing processes, you never know how 'real' the images you are looking at actually are. Even when celebrities are stick-thin, weight will be shaved from their thighs or hips, depending on the look the magazine or newspaper editor wants.

There is so little emphasis on health when it comes to weight-related stories in the media, unless it involves gastric bypass surgery, because this leads to dramatic weight loss, so that the audience can see how much difference losing weight makes. Sometimes, the dangers of surgery are mentioned, but usually you're drawn in by how amazing the individuals look after extensive weight loss.

Clearly, the main reason why there are so many weight-related stories in the media is because people are interested in the issue of weight, although you could say the media helps to create this interest by highlighting the issue of obesity in society and the health and emotional problems associated with being overweight. There is a lot of money within the diet and weight-loss industry - there are thousands of diet and exercise plans which if followed can supposedly help you gain control of your weight; as well as supplements and products which if consumed can apparently solve your weight problem. Even if your weight isn't really a problem, you can be led to think it is, thus encouraging you to take steps to lose weight, even when you don't need to.

Emotional State and Weight Loss

It is amazing how much your emotional state can affect your ability to lose weight. Although losing weight may simply be a matter of eating less and exercising more, so that you create a calorie deficit, this does not take into account the relationship you have with food. If you're the type of person who turns to food when you're feeling depressed or stressed, of course the battle to lose weight is going to be harder. For some people, it is the other way around - they feel down and no longer have the desire to eat. Either way, it is evident that everyone has a relationship with food and that this relationship can change depending on how you feel about yourself and about life in general.

An emotional eater is usually someone who eats for comfort. You don't necessarily have to be hungry or choosing to eat for the purpose of refuelling your body; the desire to eat is just there and you give into it. Quite often, it will be calorific and fatty foods that you reach for, as they seem to hit the spot and release endorphins that give you a temporary emotional boost. The trouble is, you're usually left feeling worse about yourself, especially if you're trying to lose weight, because you did not have the willpower to resist temptation and you may well have undone all your good work. That is when you can feel like giving up and so instead of trying to get back on track, you end up eating whatever you feel like, thus exacerbating the problem.

There are plenty of other emotions and feelings which can affect an individual, including boredom, loneliness, contentment, joy, and excitement. Not all emotions are negative and some people find that it's when they're happy that they end up eating more at meal times and not bothering to count calories. Indeed, it seems to be the case that when couples are content the pounds start to creep on. Everyone is different, though, and so although your emotional state may lead you to eat more, in some cases you may find that your appetite actually diminishes and that you lose weight without even really trying to. This can be as worrying as when you gain weight, because you can feel as though you have no control.

Everyone has to eat to provide fuel for their body, but it is clear that over time you develop a relationship with food and your eating habits can be affected by your emotional state. This can lead to weight gain and make losing weight harder or lead to unintentional weight loss. Sometimes, you can feel as though you're not in control of what is going on around you and what is happening in your life, and it may be the case that food provides you with a comforting distraction or that you simply don't feel the need to eat. Clearly, if this is a problem for you, it is important to find other strategies to cope with your emotional ups and downs, as ending up in such a state can have a negative impact on your overall well-being.

Is There Any Point Trying to Lose Weight?

Given that the majority of people who go on a diet fail to reach their goal weight or reach their goal weight only to gain weight back, it is understandable if you ask yourself whether there is any point in you trying to lose weight or not. However, if you start off with a negative mindset, it doesn't bode well for your weight-loss success. If you want to lose weight, but have at the back of your mind the likelihood of failure, you may sub-consciously sabotage your own efforts. You therefore have to look at all the reasons you want to lose weight and stay positive about your chances of success.

Although it may be true that many people regain the weight they lost, this can depend on how the weight was lost in the first place. If you follow a fad diet, which encourages restrictive eating practices, of course it is going to be difficult to know what is 'normal' when you come off your diet. This is when you can find yourself returning to the bad habits that caused your weight gain in the first place. Thus, if you have experience of yo-yo dieting, it might be worth taking a different approach to your weight loss by concentrating on calorie control, which you can do by making the right food choices and controlling your portion sizes.

This is the best way to achieve success, as it means you can still enjoy your favourite treats without feeling guilty. You can plan what you intend to eat on a daily basis and take into account those days when you go overboard, so that you can make adjustments to your diet elsewhere. You can also use exercise to burn extra calories, which will help you keep on track when it comes to calorie control. Indeed, it is worth making exercise a part of your routine, anyway, as it has so many health benefits associated with it. Ultimately, that is the best reason to lose weight - for the sake of your health.

Being overweight puts greater strain on your heart, and so it is well worth shedding those extra pounds in order to improve your health prospects. Just because you've watched others lose and gain weight and may have experience of it yourself, it doesn't mean that you can't succeed in the future. Losing weight can make you look and feel healthier, which can also boost your self-esteem, and so of course there is a point in trying to lose weight. If there was nothing to be gained from losing weight, there wouldn't be so many diet products on the market and people trying to lose weight at any given time. You just have to make sure you adopt the right mindset and that you are prepared to make calorie control a long-term objective to increase your chances of success and make sure your weight loss is permanent.

Finding the Inspiration to Lose Weight

Losing weight sounds as though it should be easy, but most people find it tough. It isn't just a case of eating less and doing more, as usually you have to rethink about how you eat, what you eat and why you eat. If you're an emotional eater, you have to stop using food as an emotional crutch and find some other way to deal with your emotions, instead. If you're not used to exercise, you have to find an activity which you can slot into your everyday life and not injure yourself or give up after just a few weeks. It helps to have a reason to lose weight, as this can keep you focused when you feel like giving up.

It may be watching someone else lose weight that gives you the inspiration needed to lose weight. There are often stories in magazines that feature individuals who've lost huge amounts of weight and look completely different as a result. If you're carrying too many pounds, this can often affect the way you feel about your appearance, and knowing that you will look better and be able to fit into smaller clothing can be a really big incentive to lose weight. If you have been slim in the past, but gained weight, it may be getting back to your former size that helps you to count calories and exercise regularly.

It doesn't just have to be your appearance that inspires you to lose weight. You may have an upcoming event in your life, such as a wedding or a graduation and losing weight can give you extra confidence. If you are getting married, it may not be just looking good on the day that you're worried about, but also what the pictures are going to look like and how you look for your spouse. Clearly, knowing the health benefits of weight loss can also motivate you to lose weight, especially as you get older and the risks of carrying excess weight become all too real.

Indeed, it may be the thought of your life coming to a premature end that spurs you on. If you want children, you may need to lose weight to be able to conceive, whilst if you already have children, it may be the case that you need to lose weight so that you are able to do everything you'd like to with them, without you getting out of breath or keeling over. Ultimately, you want to be around for as long as possible for you and your family, and sometimes this can give you the added motivation to lose weight. Unfortunately, it is often the case that overweight parents pass their bad habits down to their children and so it is not only your weight that is an issue. Thus, it is definitely worth finding a reason to lose weight sooner rather than later.

Is Going on a Diet Bad for your Health?

If you're carrying too much extra weight, this clearly isn't good for your health, as it puts more pressure on your heart and can make life more difficult. Thus, you might think that it's a good idea to go on a diet to help you lose weight and improve your health prospects, but is this really the healthiest option? It depends what you mean by 'going on a diet.' Many people find themselves following a ridiculously restrictive diet, which they can only stick to for a few weeks, before giving up, feeling bad, and regaining any weight they lost. This is usually how a lifetime of yo-yo dieting begins.

It might be worth trying to lose weight if it is likely to affect your health, but you want to go about it in a sensible way, rather than eating such a limited amount and range of foods that your body is deprived of essential nutrients and you're left feeling so hungry that it is a struggle to get to sleep at night. When you're hungry you became increasinly aware of all the food that you're supposedly not allowed and this is when you can become fixated on certain foods and start to crave all the foods that are high in calories, fat and sugar. The chances are that eventually you will give into temptation, and then you will cave in altogether.

The trouble is you feel guilty for cheating on your diet, but having done it once, you can find it much easier to do so again. Even though you may lose weight rapidly by following a restrictive, low-calorie diet, it tends not to be sustainable in the long run. When you have a timeframe of a few weeks or months to lose a lot of weight, it is easier to focus on sticking to a rigid diet plan, but as soon as the weight loss slows down; you reach your initial target; or life simply gets in the way, any attempts to stick to the diet generally go out of the window. Unfortunately, you can find yourself regaining weight as quickly as you lost it.

Thus, you are hardly likely to enjoy the health benefits of being a healthy weight if you only manage to keep the weight off for a short period of time and only lost the weight in the first place because you virtually starved yourself. It is hardly ideal to be overweight, but it is still possible to be fit and to eat healthily, which is not the case when you have no energy to do anything because you're eating so little and fantasising about all the foods you could be eating. It's not good for your mind or your body to follow a diet plan that deprives you of essential nutrients and if the outcome of your weight loss is that you're only going to regain the weight you lost and perhaps put on even more, it hardly seems worth the effort!