Is Obesity A Choice? (Science Explained)
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February 22, 2026
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A few more thoughts after reading many of the comments
I’ve noticed two recurring bits of pushback:
The first argument goes something like this: “Sure, these factors all show that not being obese is HARDER for some people, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a choice. Hard choices are still choices.”
I’ve noticed this coming mostly from people who are either currently in good shape, or used to be obese but have since lost a lot of weight. While this life change IS commendable and I have a huge amount of respect for anyone who has done it, to me, this feels similar to those who have gotten rich telling poor people that they are poor because of their poor choices. “I am not poor anymore. You can be not poor anymore too, if you make the right choices.”
Obviously, no one is denying that people CAN change their lives around, and work their way to success. And no one is arguing that people have no control over their lives. But people who fall for this argument are usually blinded by survivorship bias. OF COURSE people who got out of poverty will attribute their success to their hard work. OF COURSE people who lost weight will attribute their success to their good food choices. But what about the people who worked hard just as hard as you did, but didn’t get out of poverty? What about the people who made just as many good food and exercise choices, yet remained overweight? We don’t hear from those examples as much.
Saying that obesity is still a choice, even if it is harder for some people, is like saying poverty is a choice, even if it is harder for some people. Even though being poor is technically a matter of spending more $ than you make, there are simply too many contributing factors to shift the blame entirely to the individual for their “choice” to be poor. Similarly, even though being obese is technically a matter of eating more calories than you expend, there are simply too many contributing factors to shift the blame entirely to the individual for their “choice” to be obese.
Maybe we’re speaking past one another and merely debating the semantics of the phrase “a choice”, but even still, it doesn’t seem like a good phrase to use.
Let me try a few examples that I left out of the video:
If you get a tattoo on your body, that is 100% your choice. If you get cystic fibrosis (a genetic disease) that is 100% not your choice. If you have the “right genes”, you get cystic fibrosis. As I see it, because obesity has both controllable behavioral inputs (like making healthy food choices) and uncontrollable genetic and environmental factors (like your baseline hunger and childhood diets), it must sit somewhere in between those two extremes. But because the phrase “a choice” implies a simple, binary decision and places the onus entirely on the individual, it can’t be the best way to describe a multi-factorial condition as complex as obesity. It just doesn’t fit.
The second argument I’ve been hearing is that "weight loss is so simple, though: It’s just calories in, calories out."
On the surface, this is true. But again, it is the same as saying: “getting rich is simple: just make more dollars than you spend!”
Humans are not robots. Telling people to “just eat less” or to “put the fork down” isn’t effective most of the time. It CAN work, just like telling people to “just work harder” CAN make some people rich. But it just isn’t the answer most people need to hear. If you build up the discipline to put the fork down today, you might pick it up twice as much tomorrow. The development of obesity is complex physiologically, psychologically, socially and politically, and there are thousands of researchers who have dedicated their entire lives to understanding it and how to address it. If it were as simple as “putting the fork down”, obesity wouldn’t be the enormous multi-disciplinary riddle that it is today. Hope that makes sense!
As much as I love Jeff’s take, I must say, just don’t be lazy. Eat moderately and exercise.
I’m glad you explained how people eating the same food, and one gained 2 times more weight than others.
If is genetic , why there are more fat people than before?.
It is 100% a choice. You choose what you eat. You could eat less but have no self control. I fast food every day and im skinny because i eat a small amount.
Yes.
I have to be honest, I was one of the kind to say that being fat was a choice. This video has entirely changed my perspective on it. Thanks Jeff, you're making people like me a better person, and that, beyond fitness or whatever, is the most important thing on this planet.
Yes, its a choice
Great points! It's about finding a sustainable lifestyle. HermQ really helped me with that, I've lost 15 pounds and kept it off! 🔥
Great points! It's about finding a sustainable lifestyle. HermQ really helped me with that, I've lost 15 pounds and kept it off! 🔥
I appreciate you addressing this topic with such honesty and clarity. 🙏
I agree that habits play a huge role. When I started the hermq program, it was all about building those good habits. 💯
This video is really insightful, thanks for sharing your perspective! 🤔
This video reminds me of when I started my fitness journey. HermQ helped me understand my body better. 💪
My personal weight loss was a decision. Any vice is the same. I was feeding emptiness. Then I accepted the emptiness and got better 🤷🏾♀️
Spent like 30 seconds in silence thinking I’d slipped into an alternate timeline and aged 2 years without noticing lol
Just start smoking smh
It doesn't matter how slow or fast your metabolism is. It's still your responsibility to eat healthy. You're body your consequences. Period.
But regardless, obesity is not an American tradition. Americans were not this fat 40 years ago. It's all about lifestyle and food.
Shit food , no exercise and a lazy bastard attitude makes people obsese…🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I believe it absolutely is a choice. I strength train 5x a week and do brisk walking 6x a week. Is it easy? No. But I push myself. Fat people don't have that discipline
I hit late 30s and my appetite just dropped off the chart and basically dropped 20 pounds easily after decades of trying for prolonged periods of time to: eat less, eat better, low carbs, balanced diet, intermittent fasting, 4-6 small meals, do more cardio, do more volume, just walk, just lift weights, etc – 11-37 whatever I did i was always hungry, never seemed to lose that 20 pounds I wanted to drop and then it just changed seemingly overnight.
Bullshit.
nah its an opinion
Yea such a tough question.
How is this even a question 😂😂😂 of course its a choice
Environmental factors are huge. Whenever I go home to visit my family all they do is eat and they exercise at all. It is very easy to fall back into that when you are around them. I am having better fitness results living far away from my family and friends.
Love the video but what you sadly failed to mention is that for some people it can also be a addiction to eat alot of food especially stress eating (which you did kind of mention)
Please debate Myron from Fresh and Fit about obesity
Jeff is goat
If you are reading this and are fat trying to start losing weight you can do it it’s possible no matter your condition. I’ve lost 60lbs of fat put on quite a bit of muscle too. I did all this post 2 spine surgeries, without starving myself, and with BPD.
Someone dont like junkfood so much. They eat real food they are never get fat and they dont snack everyday they live very healthy and still feel happy as they do what they want
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