The understanding, prevention and treatment of overweight

1. Introduction
2. Elisa speaks
3. The Dieter’s Dilemma
4. The understanding of the predicament of obesity
5. How do we explain obesity?
6. The cerebral hypothalamus
7. Obesity as a control issue
8. Control issues
9. When one goes on a diet
10. To succeed we must be in control
11. Facts and fallacies
12. To be in control
13. The Human Adaptive Eating Strategy (ECHA)
14. The Plan
15. The role of physical activity in the treatment and control of obesity
16. Let’s talk about the role of exercise in weight control
17. In summary

Introduction:

The emerging awareness of the growing problem with obesity (and its dire implications and complications) in the United States of America has led to frantic efforts by various government and health agencies to attempt to address, modify, prevent and, of course, eradicate the presence of this public health menace.

Historically much can be said about the rise of this phenomenon and of its continuing persistence. The latter, despite the claims made by "nutritionists", the diet industry and so-called "experts", who maintain to have developed methods that can effectively control it, that can cure it, or if not, that can modify its outcome.

Al Gore, not a suitable presidential hopeful…

General wisdom maintains that obesity exists in a large percentage of the American population. And it does, as it exists among the well-to-do (times past, considered an aberration), the educated, the professionals, children of all ages, the clergy and, even the poor; as it is practically the case with everyone else living in the Western world.

Obesity is considered the antithesis of elegance, of fitness and of beauty. The apparent contradiction presented by the recent successes of corpulent performers, does not detract from the fact that those afflicted with this serious problem still wage (and many, secretively continue to battle) an endless struggle with this polymorphous dilemma responsible for their unflattering figures.

In the United States presidential candidates maintain a careful watch over their weight and its projection for a successful campaign. In other countries (Europeans for the most part) the same phenomenon seems apparent, yet somewhat minimized by the memories of the deprivations and scarcities of recent famine and warfare.

In the Dominican Republic, where we now live, hardly any candidate for high office is obese (although quite a few suffer ostensible forms of overweight). Even then, those who are fat or who tend towards corpulence are eager to admit their dedication at attaining the goal of a normal weight as soon as conditions would allow it — something that has eluded many.

No one with a sound mind dares to extol the virtues or desirability of corpulence, or to assert the benignity of this trait.

Be as it may, at the time of this writing, obesity remain a conundrum without resolution, affecting an estimated 65% of all Americans.

The purpose of this essay is to provide the interested student with an up-to-date, thorough, concise, and authoritative analysis of this enigma, while at once advancing a methodology aimed at its resolution.

She is not like the rest of us!