yeah I agree, one of the things that have helped me lose weight was replacing much of my food with sugar free products. That and fat free products, it really cuts down on the amoung of calories. You just have to get used to the taste. but by now, most other foods are much too sweet for me. and I wonder just what kind of chemicals they are putting in foods today that make them so addicting, I mean you dont' see alot of people who are addicted to fruits or vegetables :p
For me, the number one reason is motivation; I wanted to work in law enforcement, look good, and be more healthy, then it changing my habits and overcoming my emotional issues with food came next. I think people get too comfortable with their lifestyles and bad habits and have no good enough reason to change or lose weight, so they don't. And others are in denial, and I know all about that, I was in it for a while too :p they don't realize just how much they are eating, and how bad of a lifestyle they are in. They think they are eating like everyone else, but they really aren't because they are not paying attention to the amount of calories they are consuming, and are eating mindlessly. I didn't realize how overweight I was till I saw a picture of myself at my heaviest weight, and that became another motivational factor for me :s When I started paying attention to everything I put in my mouth I started to realize just how much I was really eating that contributed to my obesity. Some foods may be pretty small in portions, but pack alot of calories into them, you just have to be more selective about what you eat and how much of it you eat.