"People Don't Fail. Diet's Do" - discuss

Discuss? Discuss what? I agree with you completely.

Though it's interesting that Weight Watchers says diets fail.  Are they not a diet plan?

But then how do you explain the people that lose the weight WITHOUT going on a diet?

The problem I have with Weight Watchers is this "point" system and how people seem to live and die by "points" without any knowledge of what it stands for.

I'll never forget a family-friend saying one afternoon that she was feeling light-headed because she's skipped breakfast and lunch because she's saving her points for a big dinner and chocolate cake for dessert.  What?!

I guess something is better than nothing.

Plus, what does it say when you, inevitably, gain the weight back from not following the strict "points" system - if diets fail and weight watchers fails - are you just doomed?

I think that ad forgot to use the sarcasm font.

Diets fail because they aren't realistic, sustainable or healthy.

It's a two-way street, though.

What I am going to say is a little different than most people on this sites point of view.  I agree with some of what people are saying, but do not underestimate the addictive nature to anything, including eating bad.  Whether it was the way I was brought up, or genetics or what ever, I have an eating disorder that makes my life very difficult.  And all though I don't agree with this comercial because it is absolving people of their responsibility, but the idea that is simply a choice simplifies the problem significantly.  I battle everyday, every time I walk into a grocery store.  There have been occasions in which I have walked in and almost broken down in tears, because I could not stop myself from buying the huge amount of junk food I needed...yes needed!  Mentally, not physically.  I don't want to go into too much embarrasing detail about how I battle this, but just know that without psychological help, you cannot just stop.  It is not just a case of making a choice.  Ok...I am going to go hide now.

Terrible billboard, two reasons:

1.  Apostrophe used for plural -- atrocious!

2.  Message.

No, they are not a diet in what we American's consider the typical diet.  It is a life style change.  If you do what you've always done, you'll keep getting the same results. 

Part of the problem here is the connotation (denotation?) of the word diet.  America views a "diet" as a reduction in food intake (extremely simplfied).  In reality, a diet is just what you eat on a normal, every day basis. 

With Weight Watchers, they address the mental aspect of weight loss as well as the physical/food, etc.  (depending on how good your leader is.  Some of them suck big time).  As a girl who used to weigh over 300 lbs, let me tell you that loosing weight is way more mental then most people think.  A big part of the problem is people thinking they are a failure, which sends a lot of people into a downward spiral that just exacerbates the problem.

For those of you who have never had a weight problem, I don't expect you to get it.  Ever.  I'm a big believer in accountability, and I do believe there is an aspect of personal failure that goes along with not succeeding at weight loss, but if we keep beating the crap out of ourselves, that doesn't help either.

That was a courageous post, Runningwoof. Thanks for sharing that. No need to hide, please. I struggle with depression; it comes and goes but thankfully doesn't linger very long and the instances are fewer and farther between. Most of us don't get through life unscarred. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to live with an adversarial relationship with food (especially since I enjoy food so much).

I've heard that some people who compulsively overeat are trying to disappear; it's a mental health issue.  It's very sad and, what's worse, many people have no sympathy for obese people because they equate obesity with sloth and weakness. Most people don't like to be confronted with another person's weakness - the things we like least about ourselves are the things we dislike most in others. Anyway, that was the perspective shared with me and it opened my eyes quite a bit.

Keep fighting the good fight!

runningwoof  - You and I could share our sorrows with food addictions and having to go into grocery stores.... oh the horrors that lerk in grocery stores for addictive food personalities....  Too many to share.

 I think a large section of the general population simply does not get it. I have a co-worker that will not exercise. His recent decision to quit smoking has earned him around 40 pounds. He goes to the doctor thinking "I'm healthy now Doc, I quit smoking like you told me to do." Doc frowns and says sure you quit smoking but you have bacon fat and butter in places where you should have blood pumping. Now he goes on the quest to lower cholesterol. The pills the doc gave him put him out of work for three weeks due to side affects. He then decides to change his eating habits !!!! Halelujah ,he has it figured out, right? Nope, he goes online and chooses the foods that McD's offers that provide a lower amount of saturated fat than the meals he was chosing. You and I know that a 20% reduction in sat fat from a product that provides 140% of the daily dose is not the answer.

Same guy...laughs at me when I put on my shorts and go out to run the parking garage during slack times at work. I just smile and tell him to enjoy his shake and big boy sized meal deal......

Word. There's tons of mental things going on, not to mention the people around you who actively or passively sabotage you.

My trainer calles it a 'nutrition plan".  Diets tend to be thought of as temporary. I know I think of them that way.  Nutrition is not. That said, it's still my fault if I don't follow my nutrition plan.  No one sits on me and force feeds me cheetos. 

Hmm cheetos. MMMMMMMmmmm. Be right back.

My wife and I watched a show late last night that showed how much a person will go through NOT to take control of his or her life.  This guy was afflicted with lymphoma disease on his leg, causing it to swell and deform terribly, aka the Elephantitis effect.  He had been in treatment for 10 years and doctors repeatedly told him that they could not treat his lymph node disease until he got his own weight under control.  He was a compulsive eater, weighing in excess of 500 lbs.  This show was disturbing to watch, but not as much as this guy's final decision which was that he was willing to have his leg amputated rather than take control of his life and lose weight.  It shows you how much of a psychological disease overeating really is.