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Overeating is the main cause of obesity. Gaining weight is a matter of eating more food calories than we are able to burn off,and thus storing them as fat for later use. The point is, we don't use them later. We keep the fat, and feed ourselves more food the next day, and the next, and the next. Our furnace never has a chance to burn up all the stored fuel we have for it.

Overeating is very easy to do. We eat for several reason, few of which are hunger. We eat for comfort, for companionship, because we are addicted to the taste of foods or drinks, because we lack self control, and because we want to be social as well as to satisfy hunger.

First, let us look at eating for comfort. A person may have had a bad day, lost a friend, or failed a test. A carton of ice cream can sure help soothe the soul. Macaroni and cheese, or mashed potatoes and gravy, or any number of comfort foods can help ease the pain, temporarily. The problem is that the fix is temporary, and the process may need to be repeated several times over the course of the evening, or weekend. The foods are generally high in refined carbohydrates, starches, and fat, all of which raise the blood sugar level to a comfortable level. They also raise the endorphins in the body that ease pain. But again, the levels don't remain high for long, and to remain high, the process needs to be repeated.

Next, food is often used for companionship. When alone, a person may resort to snacking to overcome the feeling of being alone. Watching TV or listening to music is more fun if done with someone else, and food sometimes is the only replacement.Eating, while alone in the car, is another example of seeking companionship.

Sometimes we overeat because we just plain crave certain foods.Chocolate, ice cream, chips, cookies, and sweets are examples of such foods that a person can become so accustomed to eating that he can no longer say"no" to the craving. The foods are usually not of nutritional value, and are added to the regular meals, which adds additional calories to the diet.

Losing one's self control at a party or gathering, or even in the privacy of one's own home is another reason a person overeats. Perhaps this person has been on a diet for so long that he can no longer deny himself the coveted foods, and goes on an eating binge, consuming even several thousand calories at a time.

Finally, there is the social eater, who eats everything offered to him "just to be social" even if it exceeds his calorie limit. Partly, this

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