When we’re kids, we’re very in tune with what our bodies are telling us.  Time to eat, time to stop eating, don’t do that because it hurts, don’t put that in your mouth because it tastes bad, etc.  Over time, though, at least for those of us who struggle with weight, it’s like the lines of communication between body and mind are cut.  We eat when we’re hungry and when we’re not, we eat until we’re full and then keep going, and we forget that underneath the layer of adipose tissue that separates us from the outside world there are actual muscles chomping at the bit to do something!  We know in our minds (and our bodies told us at some point, too) that we need exercise and that food is fuel, but somehow we’ve learned to ignore those signals over time.

It’s kind of like drinking coffee or beer, or eating raw oysters or blue cheese (the latter of which I still can do only in extreme moderation) – these are acquired tastes for most people.  You have to ignore the signals your body initially sends you in order to learn to like these things.  Obesity is, in some sense at least, an acquired taste, as well. » Read more: Body and Mind – Together Again