Obesity levels vary from country to country and from year to year. Right now Mexico is the fattest developed country in the world, according to the U.N. The U.S. is second, followed by Syria and Libya. In all these countries, almost one-third of the citizens are obese (BMI over 30). Another third are overweight. The developed country with the lowest level of obesity? Japan, which coincidentally has the highest life span of any nation.

Humans in most countries now can consume as many calories as they want and burn very few indeed. The calories not burned up turn to fat.

Almost no one wants to be fat, so obese individuals try and try to lose weight. Many succeed, by reducing calorie intake and buring more calories. Weight regain then occurs for most of them, due to (a) their discontinuing their weight-loss behaviors, (b) the same cues and reinforcers that led them to overeat and sit around, and (c) physiological changes (produced by weight loss) in which the body acts as if it were starving — resting energy expenditure goes down and the body starts craving and conserving calories.

What’s a person to do? First, avoid weight gain. That is easier than losing weight. Second, push toward fitness, as well as weight control. Fitness is more closely tied to survival than weight is. Third, move to Japan. Or eat like the Japanese. It might also help to have lots of fit, normal-weight friends — they set a standard for us with their weight-related behavior.

Do I follow my own ideas? I have worked successfully at maintaining my weight since I became an adult. Sometimes I need to lose a kg or so to get back under the maximum weight I sent way back when. I also push toward fitness goals, both for health reasons and for fun. Right now I am trying to build up to run 1500 m in 6 minutes (on a treadmill). If I achieve that, I will consider myself fit. Finally, I eat foods that are popular in Japan: vegetables, rice, tuna, and so on.

What do you do about weight control? Have you found a way to lose weight and keep it off permanently?

John Malouff, PhD, JD
Assoc Prof of Psychology