The thing that gets me is that do you REALLY believe you don't have a free choice to do anything in life? Do you honestly believe you're hard wired to do some things, or have everything pre-determined? So everything that happens is owing to a pre-programmed part of our lives? IF that's the case, you still had the audacity to insult my beliefs by poo pooing them,. At least have a little respect when you post to others rather than insulting them with your quasi-brainwashing diatribe.
The existence of a free will has no bearing on as to if everything is "pre-determined" - the argument of free will is related to the idea that we are not the author of our own actions.
Simply believing our behaviour is the result of our genetics, environment, gene expression, family influences & random neurons firing in the brain isn't the same as fatalism - neither does it mean everything is pre-determined.
That kind of argument simply shows how little you know about the subject.
I can understand why you personally need to believe in free-will, otherwise religious & spiritual concepts make no sense at all.
If you could point out which parts are "quasi-brainwashing diatribe" I'd gladly amend them, otherwise it just sounds like more hot air.
In my experience if you ask a person who is fat why they are fat, they have a long list of reasons. Some will go to lengths to read up lots on-line to reinforce their belief it's something out of their hands.
I'm not saying you are wrong - the fact they eat too much in most cases is the exact cause.
But understanding
why they lack the self control required to eat well (is the point I was getting at).
I watched a show recently called secret eaters, not the most scientific shows but it did highlight one thing. People had all sorts of excuses/reason for why they were fat, but when it came down it it they were just clueless about eating/nutrition or just lazy.
I agree, but why do they secretly eat? - or refuse to spend the time learning about nutrition?.
Those factors which cause that behaviour are some of the underline causes of the obesity.
I'm not excusing it by saying
"oh they can't help it, leave them alone - it's all genetics they can't lose weight!"
I'm saying
"Perhaps if we understood the causal factors which made them like that in the first place, we may be better equipped to help them motivate themselves enough to follow the correct nutritional advice & start an exercise regime"
After they had some advice and were clued up they all started to lose weight and make change. Turns out their excuses were just that.
I'd take that with a pinch of salt, as it is TV - also sustained weight-loss requires a change of lifestyle (not something which a simply diet can achieve).
I'm not saying this applies to absolutely everyone, and I think what you're trying to get across also only applies to a small number. I think it would be easier if we focused on the majority rather than the exceptions.
Well, I'm sure most people know that eating less cake & exercising will assist you in weight loss & a reasonable amount of information is readily available on-line assuming the person is motivated enough to do it.
As I said before, I'm not saying you are wrong - people get fat because they eat too much (mostly) & don't exercise (as you say, or are clueless about calories).
But why are they clueless about it?, what personality traits do they posses which makes them so resistant to information or changing their lifestyle to improve their physical health?.
) black and white thinking is just impossible to quantify life - and people like to pigeon hole, which again I think is dangerous.
