Question: What are the most common excuses for obesity?

Heather McKee answered on 21 Jun 2010:

Put simply, the main reason why people gain weight is due to an energy imbalance-if you take in more calories than you burn off via activity these excess calories are stored as fat. Your fat cells grow and multiply … and you gain weight.
Other reasons behind why people gain weight are quite complex in nature-here I have classed them in different categories for clarity(enjoy!)
Genetic
Obesity tends to run in families, which suggests a genetic link. However, although children of obese parents have a 25-30 percent extra likelihood of becoming obese themselves, part of this increased risk of obesity is due to poor family eating habits and nutrition, rather than an ‘obesity gene.’ In any event, the fact that obesity has increased so much in the last few decades appears to discount genetics as a significant cause of overweight.
Environmental
Lack of neighbourhood footpaths and safe places for recreation. Not having parks, trails, footpaths, and affordable gyms makes it hard for people to be physically active.

Oversized food portions; People are surrounded by huge food portions in restaurants, fast food places, petrol stations, movie theatres, supermarkets, and even home. Some of these meals and snacks can feed two or more people. Eating large portions means too much energy in.. Over time, this will cause weight gain if it isn’t balanced with physical activity.

Lack of access to healthy foods; Some people don’t live in neighbourhoods that have supermarkets that sell healthy foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Or, for some people, these healthy foods are too costly.

Food advertising; Often children are the targets of advertising for high-calorie, high-fat snacks and sugary drinks. The goal of these ads is to sway people to buy these high-calorie foods, and often they do.

Physical such as physical inactivity due to injury or illness

Psychological: these tend to be the root of the problem and most common triggers. Reasons can include loneliness, boredom, comfort eating/emotional eating, depression, anxiety, stress, trauma (whether as an adult or child), and feelings of low self-esteem .

Most people tend to use some of the above as an excuse for being overweight however at the end of the day it comes down to motivation once people regonise that its motivation thats stopping them they can work to counteract this in order to obtain a healthier and happier life!