Food tastes better than being thin feels.

Many of us try to lose weight because we think we should, rather than because we really want to. We hear that being obese is bad for our heart. We would like to look better. But when it comes down to it: food tastes better than being thin feels. So we accept the devil’s bargain: experience the pleasure of food now and worry about health later.

Why would anyone accept the devil’s bargain? Is it really a bad deal?

Food is the number one pleasure in many people’s lives. Tasty food is cheap. We can eat what we want when we want. Food is always available. There is a huge variety of tempting food for us to choose from. Food is less complicated than pleasure from love or sex. Food links us socially at work and with family. Even our body conspires to make food our primary source of fun by being able to convert food directly into pleasure. Food is a legal indulgence. Food is the perfect drug.

Except for one thing: we know obesity leads to all kinds of health problems. The result of our rising weights is that for the first time in generations children may die sooner than their parents.

As with any deal, it’s up to you to decide if it is worth the cost. As an adult you can make the choice for yourself, but as a parent you are also making the choice for your child. Is obesity a good deal for your child? That’s a much trickier question for you to answer.