I have always been thin.

I believe this is because I don't like the feeling of being overweight.

Whenever my weight starts to creep beyond a certain level I don't feel good about myself.

Could this be a possible way to help others with weight-control concerns?

In some cases at least, weight control may have something to do with self-image and what one will tolerate personally regarding what is acceptable weight.-wise and what is not.

I think each person may have to draw the line beyond which they won’t allow themselves to go.

The feeling I don't like is being out of control, and that's where I instinctively draw the line and always have.

This feeling affects everything -- from what I eat and drink, to how much exercise I feel I need to stay healthy.

Underlying everything is a self-image of what we will tolerate and what we will not, and what we need to do to remain within the limits we instinctively set for ourselves.

What helped me restore this self-control was eating a balanced, simple, natural diet called Macrobiotic. I was born under the zodiac sign of Taurus, and Taureans tend to love to eat.

Not wanting to become fat, I discovered that the Macrobiotic diet allowed me to eat as much as I wanted without gaining weight. So I can enjoy the best of both worlds -- I can enjoy eating while remaining thin.

I know people who struggled with weight control before discovering Macrobiotics. They regained control over their weight by sticking to this simple way of eating.

The balanced diet approach that Macrobiotics embodies seems to balance the endocrine system as well as the metabolic rate, and help the body restore the natural body weight which is appropriate for one’s bone and body structure.

For more information, check out www.macrobiotic.org, or contact me at wifrpu@gmail.com.

I also believe food additives, pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol and recreational drugs throw off your body's delicate hormonal checks and balances. This imbalance affects how food is metabolized and whether it is converted into energy or stored as fat.

Add the effects of Bisphenol-A plastics that mimic estrogen used in can liners and hard plastic containers, and you have a hazard that creates hormonal imbalances no amount of dieting or weight-loss programs can deal with.

We need to avoid plastics containing Bisphenol-A, as well as refined sugar, Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, chemical additives, preservatives, etc. These also disrupt the endocrine system, which leads to malfunctions in the way the body metabolizes food.

For more information about this theory, and research that supports it, check out

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070906/news_lz1c06obese.html