I have been really aware of how overweight we Americans are. It really struck me after a recent trip to Europe. While there I hardly ever saw anyone overweight. As soon as I returned to the U.S. I couldn’t help but notice the difference. Do Americans just eat more? I don’t think so. It seems that all we do in Europe is eat. I think the difference is that we have a more sedentary lifestyle. But that’s just my own personal theory.

Actually, there are a lot of reasons people gain weight. We tend to gain weight during particular periods of our lives. For instance, during adolescence there is usually a growing spurt and kids will get heavier and then as they get taller will slim back down. Our metabolism slows down as we get older making it more difficult to stay slim. When we work out regularly we need to remember that muscle weights more than fat so we’ll weigh more even though we look fit.

I was looking at an interesting website, www.ShrinkYourself.com, which is about just what it says … shrinking yourself. Most of us like that idea! It gives you a good assessment of the reasons people gain weight, including emotional eating. Dr. Roger Gould has spent 20 years studying emotional eating and developed a program that has been thoroughly researched at some of the most prestigious universities in the country. Right now you can get a free interactive session and fully personalized emotional eating provide at the Shrink Yourself website. The website has proven results that are equivalent to face-to-face therapy in reclaiming your power over food. There are free articles, interactive tools, tips and a supportive, active community online. You can even get tips and alerts delivers to your cell phone.