Left to right: Darcy Padilla for The New York Times, Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times Two ways to help keep the pounds off: Plant your own vegetable garden and take a yoga class.

A Room for Debate forum last week discussed the effectiveness of public campaigns to promote healthy eating and reduce obesity. Many readers wrote in about their own struggles with weight, what worked for them and how public policy might be changed to help Americans keep the pounds off. Here are excerpts from their comments.

If I Can Do It, You Can

Diet and exercise. Personal responsibility. There is no magic. I have lost 35-40 pounds (200 down to 162) since last June. Walking (fast) 4-5 time/week 4 to 7 miles. Core training 4-5 times a week, on my own, 10 and 20 lb dumbbells my only equipment. Have changed my eating habits but have not given up anything but fast food. Still have steak, burgers, fried chicken, fries, desserts and the like occasionally. I simply no longer eat what I want every time I want it and certainly not in the same portions. Cholesterol down to 168 from 250. All long over due but clearly doable. If I can do it, just about anyone can.

— Rwoodward

Willpower and Diligence

I lost 40 pounds 5 years ago and have kept them off (I’m now 5’5″ and 130lbs). How did I do it? By reducing the number of calories I consume each day and exercising 3 hours a week. In general, I move around a lot and climb many flights of stairs a day (I live in a three-story home), and I spend no more than one hour a night watching TV. I also weight myself daily. If I gain a pound, I immediately reduce my calories to lose it.

Calorie reduction requires a great deal of willpower and energy. It demands self-sacrifice and feeling hungry at night sometimes. I do eat dessert and junk food, but in very small quantities. If I’m traveling, I don’t calorie count, but as soon as I get home, I lose the weight I gained on the trip (rarely more than two pounds). I’m religious about not consuming too many caloric drinks.

— skigurl

Overeating and Stress Management

I’m speaking as someone who struggles with obesity. I lost 50 pounds at one point, but then went through a stressful period with family, economic pressures, etc and had minor surgery which curtailed cardio for a bit, and regained 30 pounds, which I’m now working on losing. I realize I do need to take responsibility for my health and I’m working on it.

We live in a society/culture where people tend to work long hours and/or have long commutes. Combine that with other stressors, the availability of cheap junk food and it’s really not surprising. What would I like to see ideally to fix it?

— Anon

Plant a Garden

Last summer, I lost 12 pounds as a result of gardening and eating many vegetables. Unfortunately, I gained it back over the winter with less vegetables around. Last month, I was alarmed at gaining the weight back so I recognized the need for more vegetables and salads. In a week, I ate mostly salads, which I love, and lost seven pounds. Now, being more knowledgeable, I am eating more store bought vegetables and making salads until the garden is going. In the process of buying all these vegetables, I realized they cost half as much as processed food. Its a win-win, you loose weight, enjoy the food, and save money.

— Patrick

Evolutionary Effects

Yes, I’m fat. I’m post-menopausal, I have a sedentary job, I live alone — there are all sorts of explanations and excuses. But how about the biggest one? We are the product of an evolutionary cycle which compels us to eat eat eat when times are good and food is available, so that we pack on weight to keep us alive when times are bad. Trouble is, no bad times lately, so the weight just stays and stays. Hey, I’m not trying to come up with a lame excuse. Just saying that I’m fighting a couple of million years of evolution here. Cut me a little slack while I work against history.

— Elaine Williamson

Eat Better Food

OK, I’m fat. More to the point I have always (and I am now 55) had a problem with my weight. The good news (for me at least) I’m less fat than I was about 18 months ago, and I’m continuing to lose weight. The secret to my good news … is more good news. I’m losing weight and feeling better than I ever have in my life simply because I’m eating better. No kidding.

Whenever possible, eat local, fresh, organic food. Cost is relative. Either you spend it on quality food, or on medical care to treat the problems eating a poor diet will cause. Avoid processed food of every kind. Eat less meat, and when you do eat meat avoid “industrial” meat. If you’re going to eat meat, go for organic grass fed beef, lamb or pork, and free range chicken. I used to consume meat daily…often at multiple meals each day. Now it’s more like once or twice a week…and I have never felt better.

— Michael A

A Dress Code Problem

Suburbs and sweatpants are the culprits. As a person who’s gained 25 pounds since taking a job in the suburbs, believe me when I tell you that it’s not about food; it’s inactivity. I’ve never been one to “exercise,” but when I worked in the city, I walked out of necessity (to the train, from the train to the office, up the stairs when the elevator broke, to Bloomies at lunch time).

In contrast, I now just roll out of bed and drive. When I worked in the city, I wore suits, and a tightening waistband told me to cut back on the cupcakes. In the suburbs, every day is casual Friday, and you’re never conscious of weight gain while wearing sweat pants — they just expand along with you. The obesity epidemic won’t be cured through mindful eating. We all need to move back to the city and enforce dress codes.

— Eden Hall

Work Less, Move More

For children, asking them to sit at a desk all day seems ridiculous. But the same thing is asked of many people who work in offices and it is equally ridiculous. Most children and adults could do their work in a shorter period of time (4-6 hours rather than 8). Working less would free up more time for other, healthier activities. Let’s start simply with more physical movement.

Getting at the reasons for being overweight requires more thinking about the fabric of our social lives and culture, and about our preconceived notions of life — how we live. Why do we drive in cars to a workplace to sit all day with other people who, in many cases, we do not communicate with, when we could do the same work at home (with discipline)? We need to change the way we live, and this will have a more profound effect than layering changes in attitudes about health over our existing lifestyles.

— CA

Remember the ‘Eat Carbs’ Fad?

I’ve struggled with weight much of my life, beginning in my teenage years. I’ve lost and gained and lost and gained. I keep trying anyway. Those who spit nasty remarks about those of us who are overweight don’t have a clue. It’s not that we have no self-control. Obesity is caused by food addiction, pure and simple.

Why would we let our government tell us how to eat when their very own “eat lots of carbs” advice of the eighties is largely responsible for the sugar/fructose/starchcarb addicted populace of today? Do you know what the first two ingredients listed on baby formula are? Sugar and fructose/corn syrup. Know what will happen to these unfortunate little ones in years to come?

I’m not lazy. I’m busy and on my feet all day. I walk regularly. I gave up smoking years ago (easy). I hold a difficult and responsible job. I battle this addiction every day to the best of my ability.

— Laurie Mack

‘Diet’ Is a Bad Word

I lost 50 pounds in one year without going on any diet or counting calories. I simply decided to eat healthy.

“Diet” is a bad word to use when trying to lose weight. Psychologically if you go on a diet you can also go off. I simply ate more healthy foods when I wanted to eat extra so I never went off a “diet.”

I ate “unhealthy” foods once in a while but I did control the amount as well as the frequency of “going off.”

— johnny29

Not a Failure of Personal Responsibility

As a physician who has specialized in weight control for 20 years, I can attest to the fact most overweight people walk around with a burden of guilt because they feel unable to make the right food choices. The same people are incredibly efficacious and responsible in every other area of their lives, making it very hard to make the case that they have suddenly developed an incredible lack of self-control.

Obesity is also becoming rampant throughout the world. Does that mean that we developed a kind of viral loss of personal responsibility?

— Barbara Berkeley MD