Why do we continually battle with weight - Is it the food or is it us?

I realise that the battle of the bulge is more of an issue in some countries than it is in others, and that given the nature of the production of modern processed foods that it is often difficult, if not nigh on impossible to avoid these foods and drinks. And there are countless books,fads, diets - call them what you will that will help, albeit in a limited way, in bringing our bodies back to their original trim teenage version.

There is the age old debate about whether our genes determine our body structure as far as being fat or thin, and if you're like me then no doubt you'll know whole families who are skinny as a beanpole, where others are shall we say - a little more rotund. (My family is the latter) In my opinion, and it is just that - opinion, most of what I've learned about food has been environmental. My food habits and eating patterns have been to a large extent, formed by my upbringing and my understanding of what food meant to my family. I've 'learnt' what tasted good and what I didn't like purely from exposure to certain types of food that my family ate.

If you fast forward to adulthood though, there has to come a stage at which any adult decides that they will no longer be controlled by their environmental or historical relationship with food. We're human - we all seek pleasure over pain, "don't put you hand in the fire - it will burn" or "don't eat that fatty donut - it will make you fat". We have a lifetime of conditioning to overcome in changing our relationship with food. This is of course for the more affluent societies an ongoing issue. Many countries don't have the luxury of having to worry about calorie laden foods being in abundance, because they simply just aren't.

If you are in that position of trying to battle food and your weight on a daily basis, here's my suggestion. Start by changing 1 thing, and 1 thing only. Eating in excess is the toughest addiction to overcome, as eating is necessary for life as we all know. By changing 1 thing you can start to believe that you can control your relationship with food. Once you've changed that 1 thing then you can move to another - but not before. By changing 1 thing I mean take one thing out of your diet at a time. Most people fall at the first hurdle as they try to change everything at once - often a recipe for failure. I'll carry on with this thread if there is interest, but in my experience the first step is often the hardest - so start by changing one thing - and it can change your belief that you can make a difference if weight is an issue for you.