Many women want to control their weight. When they lose weight while following a weight-loss program, even though they rarely maintain the lower weight, they view the initial success as evidence that if they had just stuck with it—just exercised a little more willpower—they would have had long-lasting success. Therefore, the cycle of cracking down on oneself, sticking to a program, losing weight, enjoying some degree of success, falling off the program, regaining some or all (or more) of the weight, and cracking down on oneself again/trying harder to diet may repeat and repeat for years.
The cycle is reinforced by the endless stream of “success story” advertisements for weight-loss programs (each, interestingly, accompanied by a fine-print disclosure that the featured person’s results are not typical). Quick weight loss and control of one’s weight is what women want, so they pursue this with all their energy and even pray that God will help them succeed.
But what if God wants women to be free from the need to control their weight? What if He has a means for them to take the focus off themselves and turn control over to Him? What if the issues are spiritual in nature and need to be addressed at that level in order to permanently resolve what motivates overeating?
Well, frankly, most women I’ve met don’t even want to think about that possibility. It’s not quick and they can’t control it. So, in this area of life that drains them of energy and esteem, they exchange the truth of God for a lie and continue to foolishly fall for the world’s empty promises (Rom. 1:21-25).