You've already made several statements about this subject a lot...

I have been overweight my entire life. I am hypothyroid. The reason I am overweight is I eat too much. The reason I eat too much has a lot to do with the American diet and fast / processed food. It's very hard to get away from high calorie foods. They are everywhere. Work, school, restaurants, and a lot of the calories are hidden.

I've read labels after the fact and was shocked. Was it really 500 calories for that small package of cookies?

I also think the food we eat has been purposefully altered with additives that make you crave more of it. Sort of like tobacco and nicotine.

I am at the point where I can no longer eat food I don't prepare myself without getting a racing heart and anxiety. Don't drink any soda and haven't for years.

Still fat.

I'm not making excuses though. I am fat because I eat too many calories.

Ive pretty much been over weight my entire life. I wasent taught good eating skills until about 17/18. But once I moved out on my own (18), I struggled to find cheap ways to eat. Then once I turned 23, I decided it was time to change my eating habits and work out. Long story short it took me 2 years to loose 20lbs and it was a huge struggle and a great accomplishment at the same time.

I do agree its a life choice, its tough and takes internal motivation.

I have a range of medical problems. I gained 60 pounds in 2 months. The doctors figured out what was causing the gain, but because of another medical condition I have I'm unable to take the medication that I need. I was able to lose 20 pounds but it's taken me 5 years and I have stayed the same since. I eat a healthy diet and exercise. I've been a dance teacher for years and the extra weight has really bothered me. I have come to terms with the fact that I may never be small again, but it still hurts when people look at me and just assume I've let myself go!

I'm bigger and know I'm over weight it's a choice past a certain age I was forced to finish my whole plate as a kid so that's how I became over weight and got my eating habits if your a kid and your parents just feed you junk you can't help that but as an adult you can always change I have been losing weight I'm sick of being fat so I'm choosing to change unless you really do have a medical reason I understand that but if you choose to eat junk & sit around that's on you

I believe it's a choice.

If I truly wanted to be skinny I would get out there and make it happen.

I'm comfortable with myself (a few extra pounds).

I have graves and the meds I take make me gain weight, I work out and eat healthier because of this medical issue and the meds I have to take for it. Idk I'm stuck on this one. It depends if it's just your body type or if it's cause your eating a lot.

I don't think it could be an accident but I don't think it's necessarily a conscious and deliberate plan to be overweight. Socioeconomic status, health education, indifference, convenience, interference with physiology by chemicals and medication etc. play a role. Plus we're just as a society becoming more sedentary anyway. Being overweight isn't necessarily the only indicator of bad health. I bet there are some of us who sit down all day long eating junk and for whatever reason don't put weight on but our organs are atrocious.

I believe it's a choice.

My days are so crazy and hectic, by the end of the day I'm exhausted and just knock out.

You should have picked another drink instead. It's so bad for you! I know you know that ? I cut soda and started with iced tea, then cut iced tea and could only drink flavored water so I put lime/lemon in my water. Now I just drink water with the occasional juice. But I do have to say with this pregnancy I was having a lot of heartburn and indigestion in the beginning so I starting drinking sparkling water (just carbonated water). Now I'm ok with my water but if I eat pizza or Chinese food I crave sparkling water ?

I think it's a choice.

After having dd I worked my but off to lose weight. I gained a lottt with the pregnancy. I made healthy food choices (yes on a budget and yes I was breastfeeding so I still needed my calories) and if SO wasn't home to babysit (most of the time) I wore the baby while I power walked.

@curious I was addicted to soda. You can cut it out if you really want to. It's been more than a year for me not drinking it and even though I have tried it on occasion I honestly hate it now. Tastes like a ton of sugary water yuck!

Medical issues aside I think it's a choice too. Not sure if some ppl are actually happy being obese or overweight but at the end of the day health is more important than looks to me.

It's absolutely a choice. I used to be obese - could swear I had no idea how it happened. One day I had my wisdoms out, so I couldn't eat for a few days. Dropped a few pounds. Ate light for another week - dropped a few more. Switched from soda to water - more pounds gone. It made me realize that I'm doing this to myself.

Once I started eating less, I just kept losing weight. Yes, it took a while to learn healthy habits, cooking, smart substitutions. But all you have to do to lose weight is eat less. It's really not that hard. Put the fork down. Have a slow metabolism? Eat for the one you have, not the one you wish you had. I gain at 1600 calls daily. Is it fair? No. But it's what my body needs - no more.

And being poor is a cop out. While I was losing I lived off of $20 per week sometimes. I went to Costco, got a 2 huge bags of salad, some chicken, eggs, cans of chick peas - mix everything up- easily a nutritional lunch and dinner for a week.

Other times I went and got frozen meals 10 for $10 - that's 10 portion controlled meals.

Bottom line, if you WANT to lose weight, you can. If you don't have a physical problem preventing you (thyroid, pcos), then pretty much everything else is an excuse.

Choice depending on circumstance.

I have hypothyroidism...like BAD! it causes your metabolism to slow and your body to hold onto fat. But while I "eat what I want" I eat the equivalent in calories that I need each day. Granted I'm still a little overweight ( that's still alot less than most with my thyroid levels) but even if someone did have hypothyroidism or another medical condition....a little overweight can just happen by accident.

When you weigh 100 lbs or so more than your body should... I think it's a choice at that point.

I think it's a choice but I also think it's a way to self medicate for something else. Same way people use drugs, or excessive exercise, shopping, etc to feel better.

It's a choice.

Since a person's upbringing, social environment, living location, ability to respond to life events (etc..) plays a big role in obesity I don't think it is really a choice.... however if a person has been offered all the help possible to loose weight, and still chose to stay obese, then yes, to me, it's a choice.

I believe it's a choice. I never understand how ppl are like 600 lb because if I feel myself gaining I will get in the gym. I think it's about self control, unless it's like health issues or something, like pp said.

I think the majority of people need to hold themselves accountable and take their lifestyle into consideration. A walk around the block is not going to fix your 1000+ extra calories 4x/week. Shakes, wraps, pills etc are not the answer. What is marketed as 'healthy' isn't always healthy.

We need to wake up and put down the soda and stop making excuses for the most part.

That being said, there are some people I know who live VERY active lives and are extremely conscious of their calories in vs out, as well as the food they eat and still are considered obese. My mom is one of those people. She could kick my butt with exercise and eats healthy but has always been big. She's followed my diet and exercise regime when not pregnant and lost all of 3lbs in 2 months.

I think trainers with the mindset of obesity is your own fault haven't really got enough empathy to do their job properly for the people that are starting out.

Instead of making broad statements or excuses, isn't it better to say "I don't care about how much weight I lose or how toned I get - I care about changing my lifestyle to a healthy one and being accountable for my fitness and food".

Healthy living doesn't just mean fitness and food - it means addressing stress, mental health, finding healthy hobbies, creating bonds with family and community and even the health of your environment. It makes me happy thinking that my hubby and I are both striving for that and while back to back babies has put me at my highest weight ever, I'm not down bc of it. It's a journey.

I'm all over the place, eh?

I believe it's a choice unless it's a child who has no control over what food is in the house and what the parent feeds them. I also don't think it's a choice for those who have medical issues that attribute to significant weight gain.

It can happen by "accident" I suppose.

Let's say there's a baby born, whose parents are overweight, and don't eat or exercise right for their health. This child in most cases grows up eating junk because of his/her parents. It's everything that child knows. Once they get older it becomes a choice, but often too late or no desire.

As someone that is overweight I agree. My weight is attributed to unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity. Unless you have a health reason wether mental or physical then your weight is in your hands.

I believe it's a choice.

@pp the kind that I'm talking about are ones where regardless of diet and exercise you are still overweight/obese

Im overweight. I eat mainly due to emotional changes. Can be good or bad or nothing. And i get super bad cravings. Its not healthy for me at all. I struggle with it hourly. Im seeking help and trying different things but nothing is helping atmo. Ill find the right thing tho. So for me yes its self inflicted but is due to my mental state. Does that make sense?! Hahaaa!

Edit: I have 0 self worth too most of the time. I look at myself and see i need to do so much work or that iv done work but its not showing yet. So i become depressed. My inner voice is my worst enemy.