Tag Archives: weight

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3 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight (And None of Them Are Willpower)

Don’t Blame Your Lack of Willpower for Your Troubles at the Scale

by Emily Farris, Kansas City Enhance Health & Wellness Magazine, Jan-Feb 2011

Download the article as a printable PDF or view the article layout online.

HELP!“If only I wouldn’t have had that first French fry…”
“If only I didn’t like pasta so much…”
“If only I could resist the chocolate croissant at the coffee shop every day…”

If any of those statements sound familiar, you’ve probably blamed your willpower, or lack thereof, for excess weight at some point in your life. But Dr. Rick Tague, M.P.H. and founder of the Center for Nutrition and Preventative Medicine in Leawood and Topeka, Kansas, would tell you to stop being so hard on yourself. In fact, he says willpower has very little, if nothing, to do with weight.

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Why Are You Overweight?

By Dr. Rick Tague

The Real Answer May Surprise You

I usually ask patients why they think they’re overweight.  Too often the answer is predictable.  “I don’t have self-control.”  Or, “I’m too lazy to exercise.”  The fact is that overweight individuals are typical of all Americans.  95% of Americans do not exercise regularly, even though everyone is aware of the benefits.

So, not exercising is not the cause of obesity.  Otherwise, 95% of Americans would be obese!  And, I’ve never seen any research to support the notion that overweight individuals suffer from a lack of “self-control”.  They tend to be successful in their careers, their families, and in their personal lives. After treating thousands* of patients, I have not seen that lack of self control is any more common in overweight individuals.