The ‘3 Whys’ of weight gain leads to sustainable weight loss solutions.
The 3 Whys
There is a concept about thinking called the 3 Whys. To understand the root of a problem, ask ‘Why?’ at least three times. For example, a schoolboy may ask:
1. Why do I need to go to school? Answer: Because you will learn things.
2. Why do I need to learn things? Answer: Because you can get a better job.
3. Why do I need a better job? Answer: Because you can make more money, gain more social status and be more satisfied.
At that point, after 3 whys, you get to an answer that is pretty close to the real, root issue. A boy can understand ‘Go to school now to make more money later’. The usual answer of ‘Go to school to learn about stuff’ always elicits a response of ‘When will I ever need to know the capital of Uganda?’ or ‘When will I ever need to know the area of a circle?’. Getting to the root cause, not what seems to be most obvious is critical to solving a problem.
Root Causes
Don’t stop thinking at the superficial, most obvious answer. Go deeper to find the root cause in order to develop solutions. Think about the Titanic…