"If Overweight - Lose Weight" - Why Simple Instructions are all You Need

Today, I saw a picture on a humor website depicting a series of instructions, which included the very helpful advice "If overweight - lose weight." 
I laughed a little at the blatant simplicity of this "advice", but then I thought "Why is this funny? It should be that simple."

 Let me explain:

[NOTE: The principles in this post hold true for a lot of things, from laziness to addictions, but for the purpose of this post, I'm going to use obesity as an example.]
 

A lot of people today are obese, and face a hard time struggling to overcome it. What's sad is that most of these people go about it all the wrong way. They think the obesity itself is the only problem, and that once they fix that, everything will be all right. 
 

What they fail to realize, however, is that their obesity is most likely not the problem itself, but rather a symptom of a much bigger issue.
 

Fixing the Problem, Not the Symptom
 

Let's look at this another way by using an analogy. Say that you've broken your finger, and it's causing you a lot of pain. 
 

Would you A) focus entirely on the pain and take pain killers for the rest of your life while ignoring the fact that your finger is broken, or B) go to the doctor and have your finger fixed, thereby removing both the problem and the pain? It's a simple choice, isn't it? Why would you focus entirely on the symptoms and ignore the problem?

Well, the exact same principle applies here: things like obesity, laziness and addictions are merely symptoms of something much worse: a lack of self discipline.
 

In this case, the poor self discipline is the broken finger, and the many problems that arise from it is the pain. Don't just treat the pain - fix the problem, and the pain will go away on its own!

"If Overweight - Lose Weight"
 

Back to the obesity analogy. If you think you can fix your weight problems by going on a special diet, taking weight loss pills or having surgery, you're going about it all wrong. All those things do is treat the symptoms of an underlying problem. And if you don't take care of the problem, the symptoms will almost certainly return.  What makes you think you'll be able to stay slim after you stop taking those pills, or give up on that diet? You'll just revert back to your old self if you haven't addressed the real problem.
 

The problem: your lack of discipline.
 

Fact: a disciplined person will never become fat. He is able to stop eating when he's had enough, and can easily push himself to exercise. He doesn't need any special diet or weight loss pills - he stays in shape by controlling what he eats and how much he exercises. He is in control of his own body. He won't get fat, because obesity is nothing but a symptom of a problem he does not have.

A disciplined person who is intent on getting in shape needs no other instructions than "If overweight - lose weight". It's that simple.

Remove the Problem, and the Symptoms Will Disappear
 

If you're struggling with losing weight, you're probably going about it the wrong way. If you need a bunch of guides, diets and outside help, you're completely missing the point. The obesity isn't the problem - the lack of discipline is. 

Train your discipline, and your obesity will be a problem no more.

(These principles holds true for a lot of things, from laziness to addictions - just replace obesity in this post with the problem you want to address)