During the holidays, we're surrounded by luscious foods. Relatives and friends tempt us with favorite cookies and cakes to celebrate the season, while newspapers and magazines are full of suggestions for new treats to try. In fact, more than a third of us are slightly or moderately overweight and more than a quarter of adults are considered obese, or grossly overweight.
Food tastes good, and it's so available.
We're surrounded by messages urging us to eat. Lucas, an endocrinologist with a special interest in weight management, is on staff at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit. She urges her patients to try to make long-term changes in habits. It may be a symptom of overcontrolling and deprivation diets that lead to impulsive behaviors. Or it can be an attempt to calm down from a harried and stressful life.