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Clearly there are a lot of people out there who love to eat you only have to walk down the street to see that there people are getting bigger. This isn't just because people are eating more though, as the obesity 'epidemic' currently facing Western countries is a result of genetics, poor diet, lack of portion control, stressful and more sedentary lifestyles. Governments are concerned because obesity is putting increasing strain on health services and facilities, whilst posing an even greater risk to society in the future as individuals are struggling with obesity at an ever younger age. It must be about time that people take control of their health and their weight, and develop a better relationship with food so that they appreciate it for the sustenance it provides.

It seems that most people have no routine when it comes to eating. Too many people do not eat breakfast, meaning that they tend to reach for readily available unhealthy snacks and junk food to keep them going for the day, which plays havoc with their blood sugar levels, affecting both their body and their mind. Snacking and grazing on food is a problem for some people, as they fail to keep control of how many calories they are consuming as well as the actual nutritional value of what they are eating.

Eating has become just another thing to do for a lot of people. All the sugar and chemicals that are used to make food taste good make them feel better about themselves and leave them craving more. People fail to impose limits on themselves, though, as they continually reach for the cakes and biscuits, without even recognising they are full. Portion sizes have been getting larger over the years, so that it is hard to feel full when you are given a 'normal', healthy portion size when you have become used to much larger servings.

It is no longer rare to see a massively overweight individual on the street, whilst television and media interest in the issue of obesity has meant that there have been many 'documentaries' on morbidly obese individuals or communities. People are fascinated to watch them without realising how easy it is to fall into the trap. It is easy for individuals to go into denial about their own situation, choosing to avoid the scales and saying that they would never let themselves get into such a state. Obesity statistics, however, suggest otherwise.

Morbidly obese people often cannot leave their own house, struggle with their mobility and overall health, feeling isolated and uncomfortable in social situations, which is not helped by people's reactions to them. Such individuals often live to eat, as often they feel that there is little else to live for, since their situation is so extreme and they feel the obstacles are too great to overcome. Some resort to bariatric surgery in order to gain control over their relationship with food, others intermittently follow fad diets before putting the weight they lost back on, whilst others end up bed bound until they finally die from ill health brought on by their obesity.

Clearly there has to be a balance struck between eating to live and living to eat. It is important that people enjoy their food and appreciate what they are eating, but it should not be their sole purpose for living.

Learn more about this author, Michelle Wilkinson.
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