The lifestyle & dietary habits today versus 200 years ago are very different. Imagine these lifestyle & dietary habits as 2 very different pathways as described below:

200 years ago – the pathway was equivalent to a 4 lane straight highway which gently sloped up to the land of the lean. Both edges of this highway were also very gentle slopes which lead to the land of the overweight. Even if we walked with minimum consciousness on this highway, there was little risk of falling of the edge and chances were good with a bit of effort we could reach the land of the lean. This was largely because by default we were forced to eat organic nutritious food (minimum availability of processed food), we were forced to do a lot of physical work (walking, physical farming & industrial work), got plenty of sleep (no electricity for night time entertainment), enjoyed cleaner air, drank plenty of water, ate in moderation (most people were poor & there were no junk food) and we had less stress (no modern 24/7 technologies to create constant stimulation).

Today – this 4 lane straight highway has shrunk to a very narrow footpath which zigzags dangerously up a very steep mountain to the land of the lean. The edges of this footpath are steep drops to the land of the overweight. We have to walk with heighten awareness as there are numerous risk that we could fall of the edge (to the land of the overweight) and reaching the land of the lean not only requires more effort but more awareness as well. This is because the default situation today( if we live less consciously)  is we end up eating large amounts of processed less nutritious food, get almost no exercise, lack sleep, breath polluted air, drink sweetened carbonated drinks, overeat on junk food and live a stressed life.

From the comparison above you will notice that while our lifestyle & diet have changed significantly in the last 200 years, our awareness level have stayed the same. This is the reason why the more a country has deviated from it’ s lifestyle & diet of 200 years ago,  the more prevalent the overweight challenge among its citizens. What is needed is not just more effort but more awareness as well or what we could call “conscious effort”. There are too many changes in the last 200 years and unless we practise “conscious effort”, permanent solution to the overweight challenge may not be possible

Genetics obviously has an effect on how a person’s weight response to the changing lifestyle & dietary habits of the last 200 years.

If you observe the description of today’s narrow footpath above, genetics has an impact on:
1) the narrowness of the footpath such that some have to be more conscious than others as far as weight gain is concern.
2) gradient of side slopes where people can fall of and become overweight as for some the overweight problem is more acute than for others.
3) sharpness of the bends on the footpath as some are more sensitive to certain type of influence (ie stress or wrong diet etc) compared to others and have to be more mindful or conscious of them.
4) height of the mountain top to the land of the lean, as some people respond slower and have to work harder to become lean.

Putting genetics aside, being conscious or aware of the potential sensitivity an individual may have to the modern lifestyle &  diet is the first half of the solution. As the saying goes, correctly defining a problem is half the solution. Once awareness is there, taking responsibility and doing something to neutralize the impact of this modern lifestyle & diet is the second half of the solution.

Here at Correct Weight Loss, we try to bring awareness to the first half of the solution, which are the causes of the overweight problem as well as encourage individuals to take responsibility for their own well being which is the second half of the solution with “conscious effort”. Unless understanding of both half of the solution reaches a certain level, most individuals with genetics sensitive to modern lifestyle & diet will keep facing weight challenges.