Weight is just a symptom of a bigger issue

I'm not sharing my thoughts today, as I found a portion of the book I'm reading to really tell it like it is, and I can't do better than that, so here goes...

From the book, Spiritual Secrets to Weight Loss, by Dr. Kara Davis:

-Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. -Matthew 5:17

(author speaking) Our verse for today is taken from the Sermon on the Mount, found in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus makes a point that would utterly confound the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes during His entire earthly ministry, and that was the distinction between a mere adherence to the law and an understanding of the essence of the Law. Let me make it clear before we go any further that I am not in any way equating the friction that existed between Jesus and the religious leaders with our goal of making lifestyle changes for better health. My point is this: the religious leaders were so determined to stick to the letter of the law that they failed to comprehend the spirit of the law-the big picture. And this tendency to miss the big picture is exactly what we want to avoid when we make a decision to lose weight.
The big picture is not that you chew your food at a slower rate and take longer to complete a meal. Yes, that may be important in terms of satiety signals, but that is not the big picture. The big picture is not whether or not you eat past six o'clock in the evening. Yes, that may be a good practice, especially if you have acid reflux, but it is not the big picture. Making sure you drink a specified number of glasses of water each day is not the big picture, although we certainly don't want to become dehydrated. Yes, these are the sorts of rules we are quick to follow, expecting results. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that unless we grasp the big picture, the rules don't do much in the long run. Just ask my friend who drank honey, lemon juice and vinegar each morning.
The big picture relates to the character traits (or character flaws) that prevent us from making permanent changes for better health. So if our daily menu (that is, what, when, and how much we'll eat and how it will be prepared) represents the letter of the law, then such attributes as self-control, discipline, moderation, sobriety, subjecting the flesh, and resisting temptation would represent the essence of the law.
With that analogy, it should be clear why diet plans are destined to fail unless attention is given to why the diet plan is needed in the first place. This would constitute the essence of the matter. Any dietician can prescribe a 1200, 1400, or 1600-calorie meal plan, but no dietician can make us practice self-control. A popular diet might favor proteins over carbohydrates or vice versa, but no diet plan-no matter how popular-can tell us how to subject our flesh and resist temptation. We can tally points, and we can make exchanges, bu6t neither points nor exchanges can teach us discipline and moderation.
One person may enjoy a slice of pie operation with a mature level of self-control, while another person may eat celery sticks and be severely lacking in self-control. The first person will enjoy the foods he or she eats yet maintain a healthy body weight. The second person will tolerate celery sticks for a season, then resume the bad habits that contributed to their weight problem, and in the long run find themselves weighing more than when they started.
Legalism hurt the ancient Palestinians, and it hurts us today. Never forget that it is the essence of the law that matters, and learning the essence comes by way of the Holy Spirit.

(me speaking now) This really hit home with me. I love this book!! It has been a great no-nonsense, tell it like it is kind of book. Jesus was a "tell it like it is" person too, and I feel a great combination between her medical degree and her spiritual one as well.