I think it spirals out of control for many, even if they had some level of discipline. It causes people to become depressed and many turn to food, exacerbating the problem. Once you’re big your body demands food, you probably have a larger stomach too - so just “cutting down” is hard than some realize.
I’ve been quite overweight, technically I still am but I’m down to a healthy level and able to be quite active. It was very hard, it took years and I wasn’t anywhere near where some people are. There’s still a lot of bad advice out there (low fat, high carb diets). Once you’re large, exercise is exponentially more difficult to do and is easily given up upon. I learned to eat a low carb, highly nutrient based & protein diet, only eating until I wasn’t hungry - never eat till full. Anything “golden brown” is pretty much a “no”. Along with walking a couple of miles a day.
In this country we “build outward”, requiring a vehicle for many. It is not a walking culture as are many European or Asian countries. This really doesn’t help. The other temptation are “buffets”, they’re the worst possible type of restaurant. The proportion of overweight people that eat at these places is very high, they’re almost a public health concern.
...just sayin’ - I tend to feel sorry for many because it didn’t happen overnight, none of them want-to-be, and what is needed to undo it can be a tough road.
I suppose I’m just lucky because I don’t have to try very hard. High metabolism or something. But I have very overweight people in my extended family, whom I don’t see often, and I’ve noticed they can eat a horse in one meal. Another person I know had something done to reduce the size of her stomach, and she started losing weight not much later. More discipline could have also done it, I suppose. But I used to be a smoker and I know now that “just quitting” is not as easily said as done.
Rather, more easily said than done.
House located near a city park matters for your health. Bigger the park is better. You can then get up out of bed, dress quickly, run out the front door, run for a half hour.
Run back home, jump in the shower. All without wasting time.
Second choice is buy an actual city map. Green places are parks. Make an adventure out of visiting a few each week for half an hour.