We have come to realise that being overweight is not just a physical problem but also, increasingly, a psychological and social one that impinges on body image and diminishes self-respect.

Considering that three-quarters of people in the so-called developed countries are overweight or obese, it is no wonder that many are taking desperate measures to control their body contours.

It is easy to blame excess calorie intake to explain this epidemic. While this is, of course, a truism, one must look deeper into the question as to what is the basic root of this problem. Obesity is unknown in situations where there are food shortages, emphasising the undoubted effect of excess food intake as the main reason for becoming overweight.

There are, however, several underlying reasons why people feel the need for food. Apart from certain genetic and medical conditions which lead to obesity, conditions which have always been with us and which account for a relatively small proportion of people with overweight problems, the vast majority of people, young or old, become obese because of an imbalance in the amount and quality of food ingested compared to what is needed by the body.

Easy availability of tempting delicacies, improved economic conditions which result in increased affordability, changes in social mores which dictate our reliance on take-away and restaurants rather than home-cooked food, a penchant  for supersizing of meal portions, as well as reliance on sugary drinks  rather than old-fashioned water to assuage our thirst – these are some of the reasons why we tend to put on weight.

It is also well appreciated that we do not eat simply because we are hungry. It is more often the case that we eat food in an effort to feel good. The psychological effect of eating has to be appreciated. Particularly when under stress or depressed we tend to find solace in food, grazing and snacking at all times of day.

It has been frequently touted that exercise is one way of combating obesity. While there is no doubt that exercise is an excellent way of keeping our muscles in good shape, making us feel physically and psychologically better, it is doubtful that it has a major effect on burning excess calories. It has been calculated that one needs to jog three kilometres to burn the calories from drinking a small can of a sugary soft drink. It may be noted also that athletes do not need to eat an inordinate amount of food to supply the energy they need.

The pharmacological industry has been very active in researching means of tackling the problem. While there is a range of drugs to combat obesity which vary in their efficacy, they all have some complications. The same can be said of alternative medicines.

So it comes down to downsizing – which is easier said than done. This is a psycho-social issue and not just a question of personal willpower.

In a desperate  attempt to control excess weight gain, in recent years techniques have been developed to physically reduce the size of the stomach by ‘banding’ or other techniques. These techniques result in a much smaller stomach volume which becomes satiated earlier and prevents overeating.  While it has met with considerable success, this procedure can result in serious complications.

Even more recently, the ever-more inventive medical profession has come out with a new technique which actually involves sucking out food through a tube inserted  surgically into the stomach, enabling easy evacuation of ingested food,  a technique which has recently been approved by the FDA , the major drug regulating body in the US. While many would consider this  technique as revolting, it has showed considerable success in controlling body weight.

We have to admit that we seem to have lost the battle of controlling body weight through our own personal efforts and have to rely on desperate medical procedures to help us cut down on food intake.