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If You Struggle Losing Weight, It Might Not Be Your Fault

When we struggle shedding those extra pounds, it’s natural to wonder, “Why can’t I lose weight?” Goodness knows we’ve asked ourselves that question quite a few times. While there’s no one “right” way to answer that question, since everyone has very different bodies and metabolisms, there’s one possible explanation of why you can’t lose weight makes a lot of sense—and is actually pretty comforting.

A new survey reports that most Americans are confused about what counts as a “healthy” food choice. A whopping eight out of 10 respondents from the International Food Information Council Foundation’s annual Food and Health survey said they’ve found conflicting information about what foods to eat and what foods to avoid. So it’s not hard to see why they might be confused about what foods are good choices.

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After all, when you hear that a certain food is healthy from one source and then hear that it’s bad for you from a different source, it’s hard to know which one to trust. Understandably, a lot of Americans are second-guessing which foods they should and shouldn’t eat to stay healthy.

“Trusted nutrition information is hard to find, and the public is inundated with conflicting messages, including from dubious sources,” said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

So where does struggle with weight loss come into play?

Why can’t I lose weight?

Dr. Roxanne Sukol, a preventive medicine specialist at the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic, said that this conflicting information might be playing a role in so many people being overweight and obese in America. Though she was not involved in the survey itself, she wasn’t surprised by the results.

“That means that whatever we’re doing, it’s really not working,” she said. “So it’s proof that yes, in fact, people are confused. They’re not making choices that benefit their health, and it’s not because they’re not trying.”

So where can Americans turn if they want reliable information about making healthier choices?

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Experts recommend reading the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are published every five years. The most recent one was published last year, so it’s quite up to date.

Good to know!

h/t CNN.com

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