Eating When You Should be Asleep (and 3 Other Weight-Loss Saboteurs)
We're a country obsessed with being thin, yet two thirds of American adults—and nearly one third of children and adolescents—are overweight or obese and either suffering from or at risk of serious chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. Ironic, given the thriving weight-loss industry that seems to churn out a new diet book or fat-loss pill every other week. Even when dieters do succeed at slimming down, research has found that the majority end up gaining back their losses.
What gives? Yes, weight loss depends largely on getting the balance right between calories consumed and calories burned. Yet, as evidenced by individuals' struggle to control weight and also by the nation's alarmingly increased rate of overweight and obese residents in recent decades, mastering this seemingly simple formula is no small task. Willpower alone probably won't do the job, since several sneaky factors may be complicating the equation. Here are a few that may be working against your efforts to control your own weight.
