Nearly 34 percent of adults in the U.S. are obese, according to 2007-2008 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Losing weight can be about more than just will power, however; if you struggle to lose weight, certain conditions or medications could be preventing you from succeeding. Also, if you follow fad diets, your dieting methods could be hurting, rather than helping you. There are many reasons why a person may or may not be able to lose weight.
Medical Conditions
Certain medical conditions, like hypothyroidism, directly interfere with the body's ability to regulate weight, preventing weight loss or causing weight gain. Other conditions, like mood disorders, can produce indirect weight gain as the result of fatigue or depression, the latter of which can lead to emotional eating or reduced physical activity. The ability to reverse the weight gain associated with a medical condition depends on the available treatments for the condition. Consult your doctor about your weight loss options if you are suffering from an illness.
Medications
Some medications can cause increased hunger, fatigue, swelling in the hands and feet, or bloating due to water retention -- all of which can lead to weight gain. Some steroid medications, beta blockers, antihistamines, psychiatric drugs, diabetes treatments and anticonvulsants, have weight gain as a side effect. If you're having trouble losing weight, and you think it might be due to a drug you are taking, talk to your doctor about switching medications. Depending on your condition and the available medications, however, you might have to weigh the importance of losing weight versus treating your condition.
Eating Disorders
Although some people might associate the term "eating disorder" with the medically underweight, eating disorders afflict the overweight and obese as well. Dramatic, low-calorie diets, like those associated with anorexia, trigger starvation mode, causing the body to hold onto its fat stores which makes weigh loss more difficult. Compulsive overeating, or binge-eating, on the other hand, causes the sufferer to eat large amounts of food to the point of obsession. Weight loss can be difficult if not impossible when suffering from an eating disorder. If you have, or suspect you might have, an eating disorder, talk to your doctor about therapy and treatment methods.
Lack of Information
Most diet plans promise quick weight loss results without providing dieters information on how the body loses weight. To lose at least 1 lb. a week, you must cut your caloric intake by 3,500 calories. The Mayo Clinic Health Weight Pyramid is a good diet to follow when looking to lose weight: It focuses on minimizing sugar consumption, while promoting fruits and vegetables. Avoid cutting your calories by more than 500 a day, as cutting too many can trigger the body's starvation response.
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