I'm not disagreeing with you, and clearly this is what I advocate for all patients (and have always said on this forum if you search my posting history). But, surely you've heard the expression: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." My realization, working in a tertiary referral center, is that people will often pick the path of least resistance.
Or, as one of my ex-resident colleagues (who lost roughly 150 lbs the hard way... exercise, dieting, counting calories, etc.) once said, "Food tastes good, exercise hurts." He was motivated. Most people aren't.
At this point, I've all but given up expecting people to quit their bad habits. My new mindset is damage control.
~Dr. Imago
