The answer seems obvious: simply stated, if we consume more calories than our bodies can use, the extra food becomes extra weight. Nothing very complicated about that, is there? The question is, why do we consume more calories than we need?

The problem may be in what the person eats, rather than how much. Perhaps a frequently satisfied sweet tooth, or a never-empty can of soda ("I didn't eat a bite all day") is to blame. Or maybe it is a habit, learned in childhood and never altered, such as the belief that fried potatoes are the only vegetable, or that every meal must end with a rich dessert, that is playing havoc with good intentions.

For most, however, it's a matter of refusing: refusing to exercise, and refusing to accept that our metabolism does not work at the same level as when we were teenagers. Instead of making the proper changes to exercise and eating patterns, we continue to have fries with our burgers and donuts with our coffee.

When we were 12 or 14, our "growing spurts" took care of everything. But for those of us who are over 18, without change, the only growing we're likely to do is out.