Eileen,
I think that is what I alluded to earlier in my post. If God ordains it it will happen. If you smoke, how many times have you quit in the past? When God wills it, it will be done in your life, you cannot will it yourself. Though I admit our choices sometimes appear that we willed it.
Kathy, I agree. Eating and doing healthy things will improve the quality of life, can you will yourself to persue these endeavors over a period of time to make that difference? Who are we listening to about our choices, man? Science? If you make the choice to do anything it is because God has ordained it. A football player would not have played and be in pain now unless he was always meant to do this from the foundation of the earth. Could a man will himself otherwise?
As far as the more spiritual lesson in this. Let's say I was an alcoholic. I have a pretty strong will, I may be able to will/force myself to never drink again, but if every time I look at a drink I have the desire/lust for a drink, then I have not accomplished much in the eyes of God. Yes, I may have improved the quality of my life, but my quality before God is the same as before. We need to pray that we will make wise choices. Jesus died for our sins, what is the matter with giving them to Him? If we did we would have more room for Him in our lives and a little more of ourselves would be replaced by Him.
Craig