to think some people struggle to lose weight because food is no longer seen as fuel?

[Hiptobe]

I am not talking about people with any medical conditions which makes it complex.

People eat for other reasons other than to fuel their bodies. Maybe it is comfort, they are upset and a whole slew of other reasons.

Food is not seen as fuel but filling a gap in some way emotionally and mentally.

Of course there is nothing wrong with food being pleasurable and going out for dinners etc. But I am talking about people who are regularly eating more than their bodies need.

Of course and that is acknowledged in my OP.

The problem is when it leads to weight issues.

I do acknowledge in my OP that it is about more than just fuel.

But what is your point OP?

Are you suggesting that people should magically know exactly how much fuel they need, and exactly how to stick to it, in order to avoid weight issues? Do you seriously think that is all under conscious control?

I might start a thread about how sad it is that some people are incapable of using their brains.

Of course it’s not just fuel we are not machines, neither do we just have sex when we want to procreate. We are much more complex.
If it were fuel why the plethora of foodie programmes cooking very complicated versions of simple fuel.
I for one hate Saturday morning TV as there’s no escape from food & booze.

I don't think it is magic but I do think some people can be out of tune with their bodies and emotions which can lead to overeating.

Yes that is acknowledged in my OP.

You heard it here first!!

Fat bodies just need tuning up!!!

🙄

Again, I'm struggling to see your point. You're sharing one small part of a very complex subject as though its new. It's not new. It's common knowledge. Along with multitudes of other factors some of which are mentioned on here - genes, food availability, food quality, marketing, time pressures, stress, poor sleep... There are hundreds of factors in obesity.

Do you really think this aspect is one that other people - including those who are overweight - hadn't thought about?

And do you think that having this knowledge means that it's straightforward for them to change it?

Making eating pleasurable and making fatty/high energy foods desirable is as basic to survival as breathing.

Food has never been just fuel. I can't think of a time when it was. Even in biblical times eating together was a social occasion the food wasn't just food.
A Celebration feast with special food is the norm in all cultures.
If food was just seen as fuel we would've have the variety of recipes we have.and we wouldn't have special meals for weddings, birthdays, Christmas, Easter, etc

What a big reveal OP!

Yes that is acknowledged in my OP.

I struggle to lose weight because food tastes better than thin feels.

Not sure what anyone can do about that.

Groundbreaking OP
Also, water is wet

It is not for anybody else to do anything about it. It is your choice.

Food is a hobby for many especially meeee BUT I realised my own greedy ways stem from sensation seeking above anything else so I now seek to replace it through more productive means

I have ADHD and constantly seek stimuli

It is not down to other people to do anything. You have choices, just like everyone else.

Yes, genius. I'm aware. But one assumes you posted your OP not simply because you're just another garden variety, fat-shaming shit stirrer, but are looking for some sort of insight into the issue that might eventually lead to change?

Talk about stating the bloody obvious

Oh dry up. 😂

You don’t say 😂😂

Obviously some people overeat. They eat more than their bodies need, so they gain excess weight. That's not exactly rocket science

I’m going against the grain because I think plenty of people see food as fuel. It’s much more than that at a societal level because so many occasions are focused around it, but as individuals it’s perfectly possible to not be that bothered about food but still enjoy it.

Since the injections became a thing, we’ve heard more people talking about ‘food noise’ as being something that controls their thoughts and feelings around food. If we can accept that some people have that and injections can switch it off, then it should be possible to imagine that some people just don’t have it in the first place.

I think about food when my body tells me I’m hungry and I’m not all that bothered about what I eat. It just needs to stop me feeling hungry and be nice enough that I can carry on with other stuff. I still enjoy good food and lovely meals and can happily feast on occasions, but every day food doesn’t need to be anything special or do more than fill a gap. So at an individual level, it is just fuel.

Hey @Hiptobe

Here's a direct question which I know you won't answer -

Why did you start this thread?

What is your actual question, and who is it directed at?

All I see in your OP is a bunch of well known, well-worn statements.

What do you want to know from this forum?

Of course they do, food is comfort, food fills a gap, replaces lost love, food is a big hug, even if your just feeling a little blue, never mind huge grief promoting deaths of parents etc, childhood abuse and the rest.

@Hiptobe please engage some brain cells for a few seconds, seriously.

Our bodies regulate lots of things that are complicated and outside of conscious control. Our breathing. Our hydration levels. Our heart. Our movement. We stay in a remarkably stable temperature range. We are highly complex organisms to keep alive, and we've evolved in a way that it all, just works.

Do you really think that one fundamental part of that is entirely in our control? Do you think that the hormones that control our drive towards food, or those that inhibit our activity levels, are fully at the front of our consciousness?

Honestly given that most women experience a few days every month that they crave sugar, or can seemingly eat without feeling full, or who have tried things like hormonal birth control or anti depressants that have swung their appetite from one extreme to another, I find it bonkers that some can't see that appetite can vary

I'm naturally thin, currently a little heavier than I want to be but still thin by societies standards. I don't for a second think that I've got more willpower or make better choices most of the time than any of my friends who struggle with weight.