Scientists have been debating whether willpower actually exists. Most weight-loss researchers seem to think willpower is an outdated and discredited concept. From the early 1950's, willpower was an accepted concept, but in the late 1960's behavior modification became a principal approach to weight loss and is the most widely accepted among academic researchers today. Weight loss experts describe today's food environment as toxic for weight loss.
Many delicious foods are widely available for relatively low cost and are heavily advertised.
Why some people are tempted while others are not is unknown. Whether willpower is based on psychological or biological factors seems irrelevant, except in a semantic or cultural sense. It may be more politically correct to blame hormones than choice, but in this case, it amounts to the same end result. Now when nutrition news gets confusing, there IS a place to go to get the real story. Our FREE daily email newsletter, Nutrition News Focus, helps you make sense of it all.