Here is a definition of the term “HUMAN NATURE”: the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioral traits of humankind regarded as shared by all humans.
I often refer to “human nature” when writing these entries about weight control. Some of the behavioral characteristics associated with human nature that impact weight control are:
- Human nature compels all of us to seek things that feel good. Unfortunately, “feels good” foods are mostly based around sugars, carbohydrates, fats an alcohol
- Human nature compels us to seek the “easy” route. It is much easier to pop a frozen (processed) meal into a microwave or us the Door Dash/Uber Eats app to order a delivered meal as opposed to preparing a fresh meal of protein and vegetables.
- Human nature compels us to “join the herd”, i.e. if we are socializing with a bunch of people eating carbs and drinking booze, we will tend to join them in these activities.
- Human nature compels us to “get our money’s worth”, i.e. if we are at a buffer restaurant we will get several plates of food and make the last trip to the dessert bar
- Human nature compels us to rest and relax as opposed to waking up early and go to a gym
- Human nature compels us to protect us from bad news. Whether it be checking our retirement accounts when the stock market is crashing or nor getting on a scale when we know our weight is going up, we will tend avoid dealing with news that will stress us.
There are many more examples of how “Human Nature” can impact our weight control efforts. However, the fact that “human nature” will compel us into certain behaviors does not mean that we cannot step aside from “human nature” and create our own behaviors. The first step is to recognize/identify the “human nature” behaviors that are negatively impacting our health. Then, take the necessary steps to change these behaviors.
And here is Michael Jackson’s song, “Human Nature”.
