by Shirley Scurlock

Created on: May 04, 2009   Last Updated: May 11, 2009

The obsession with obesity is every where. The news, doctors offices and the web. Being over weight is no fun for those who suffer from it, but then we have to deal with all the medical chatter about it. There are millions of diets, some ask you to give up a certain food while another diet asks you eat more of it. So much of it is confusing to the average dieter.

The constant obsession with the food we eat is often more harmful than helpful! The day always begins with what we have to eat for breakfast, then lunch, don't forget snacks and dinner. It's no wonder some people gain weight on a diet. I never ate this much before my diet. How about the measurements of weight loss success? There are so many, they preoccupy the mind to the point of obsession. There are packages to read and nutrition to understand, and of course scales to buy and use! There are scales for the food and scales for your body. There are measuring cups of all sizes. There are innumerable shows that deal with obesity in one way or the other. How could we not be obsessed?

How about the books? Yea, I have bought every diet book I can find. The more I read about the way it should be done, the more I'm sure no one knows how it should be done! Every book I've read contradicts the other to some extent. What about the "Pinch an inch" phenomenon, which has proven to be very discouraging to possibly every single woman alive. Who can't PINCH an inch? If you pull on that skin it will stretch!

The older I get the more concerned I am about my health and weight. I find obsessed is the correct word for my attitude toward my weight. Only the obsessed would buy scales, books, tape measures and motivational charts only to become more confused! I have learned a few small lessons during my journey toward obsessive confusion however, and they are:

No two people are alike and what works for me may not work for you.
There is only one ME and no matter how I try I will never look like a cover girl.
My health must be a priority.
If I combine a healthy diet with some exercise, I will lose weight sooner or later.

I realize that the more I focus on what I eat, the more I want to eat! BUT If I can get my mind off of the food and diets and get out and actually live... I don't need to obsess over the millions of diets available. I don't have to buy tape measures, scales and a multitude of books to lose weight. A little common sense goes a long way in weight control. So I think I'll have a lite dinner and take a walk! I also think I'll have yard sale and get rid of all this diet junk that caused the obsession in the first place.

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