Dr. Levy believes that very few overweight people are overweight because they are too lazy to go for a walk. Every obese person who has struggled to lose weight know what an average breakfast, lunch, and dinner should look like. For various reasons, however, they are unable to follow an average meal plan. This book explains why. Understanding Obesity focuses on the causes of obesity. Ninety percent of obesity is caused by mood disorders, chronic tiredness, chronic pain, chronic gastrointestinal discomfort, or binge eating disorder. You cannot treat obesity until you treat the cause. In fact, in 40 percent of cases, treating the cause results in significant weight loss without any special diets. Dr. Levy, a specialist in the treatment of obesity, also promotes cognitive therapy to help obese people refocus on the physical cues of hunger and fullness, since a large percentage of overweight people may have a poorly developed ability to recognize true hunger and true fullness signals from their body. This authoritative book deals with: diet plans and fads, surgery, diet drugs, obesity in childhood, and medical problems associated with obesity.