Is weight loss an obsession? If so how can people manage the urge to loss lots of weight?

For people with eating disorders it is. People with Anorexia & Bulimia are obsessed to the point of death in many cases. I read where 50% of anorexics don't survive past 5 years oh having the disorder. So sad. If you cannot stop yourself from dieting, Please get help! +3

Sorry about the stupid duplicate! :(

If you love and accept yourself from the inside, the outside won't--and shouldn't--matter.

Based on the US statistics of overweight adults, I don't think it's a problem for too many people. But if it's a problem for someone then it's a mental issue and they should probably seek professional help immediatly.

I think you have to have an urge or else you won't lose weight. Right now, I would like to lose weight but I have no urge, so I'm not losing much. At one time in my life when I was working only part-time, I used to exercise 5 hours a day and I was in excellent physical condition. I had a different mindset then, everything had to wait until I got my workout done. I would avoid fatty foods and drink protein shakes. I enjoyed exercise, I didn't need any motivation to get started, and once I started, I didn't feel like stopping. You pick up this "urge" when you really get into it, it's almost like an addiction.

It all depends on your attitude with it. I saw a pic of myself and was determined to loose weight. I bought a scale and would weight myself every week at first when I began eating better and working out. When i saw some small results I began to weight myself everyday and go out of my way for more exercise. Once I saw the numbers on the scale go down and my old close were becoming too big for me I did become what I would call more determined to keep in shape and the pounds off. I really tried not to let it control me, I would have a reese cup or a few extra slices of pizza every now and then but then watch what i ate the next day and worked out a little extra.

It can be an obsession...diets can lead to a dieting mentality. On the otherhand, moderation doesn't work for weight loss.

One way to manage weight loss is to make small changes and be very patient.

Another way is to do something quite drastic. A lot of people have success with one meal a day. That's what I would recommend for most people as one meal a day will actually increase your energy levels (because you are not digesting food all day). Also, you don't have to plan your meals, count every calorie. This kind of behavior can drive a person nuts. Ultimately calorie-counting and so on lead to failure. Most people regain their weight after 5 years (not all of course).

I would recommend this blog: http://fitnessblackbook.com/dieting_for_fat_loss/lose-body-fat-by-eating-just-one-meal-per-day/

If they can't manage they have the beginnings of anorexia or bullimia.

Yes and no. You may say that weight loss is just a "fad" or you may also say that people do it out of health concerns. A person's attitude towards weight loss is usually influenced by his mindset. If he treats it as a fad, he would think that he could lose weight by just popping a few diet pills, taking in some herbal supplements, and doing ab crunches for a few days. Such a person is definitely 'obsessed with weight loss' (usually such an attitude is a by-product of peer pressure and/or influence of the media) and he wants to lose it all fast by hook or crook. He is concerned less about his health and more about how others view him.

On the other hand, if he tries to lose weight by eating right foods and doing some performance activities, then he is serious about making his health better!

Here is a little tip: if you really want to lose weight, just don't think of weight loss. Rather, only think about doing things which would be healthy for your body. If you always think about 'weight loss' you would be obsessed with 'how fast I could lose weight' rather than 'how could I live a longer and healthier life'.

Some people gain weight because of certain medical conditions as well. Such a person should first visit a doctor and get his advice before becoming 'obsessed with weight loss'.