You have noticed your obese friend suddenly slimmer. You want to know what she's doing, but you don't want surgery or side effects.
My Miami patient Marcia weighed 303 pounds. She noticed newly trim, formerly 325 pound Kim walking the golf course, and asked her how she'd lost weight. Marcia now weighs 190, has quit smoking and a year later, has gained control.
Labeling Marcia and Kim as diseased only makes them victims, and medicalizes their problems. Deciding obesity is a disease stigmatizes the obese, as if they didn't feel enough unwanted attention already.
The "disease" label is about money, not health. It's about getting insurers, including Medicare, to pay for remedies. It's about creating a so-called "fat tax." It's about tariffs on fast food sales and food production. And it's about promoting expensive lifestyle drugs, still being tested. Many doctors do not recommend any obesity drugs, and are worried about their side effects.
Some people think that fat is in their genes. And genes are everything-for infants. For people over age 50, however, 80% of your health is your choices. What you eat changes the proteins your genes make, and help your body protect itself against actual diseases to which you're susceptible, such as heart disease and cancer. Knowing what's in what you eat and finding nutrient-rich, calorie-lean food are personal responsibilities.
The science of obesity is new. Olympian Maurice Greene (5'9" 176#) is overweight, because his Body Mass Index is over 25 kg/m2. Although muscle weighs more than fat, he would be labeled "overweight": an insurance risk. Lenders, employers and insurers may use that diagnosis against you unfairly. Weight distribution and body fat-not pounds alone--should be measured before labeling people.
Neither Marcia nor Kim thought they had a disease when they came to see me. They felt well. Actually, very few obese patients feel ill. Yet they have-and now control-high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoarthritis. They do it with their personal choices, including individualized diets, self-monitoring, accountability, and structured, step-by-step fitness.
Understanding the risk of overweight comes one person at a time. Obesity is not a disease of deranged genes, willpower or pseudoscience. Obesity is a problem of planning. That's what my patients Marcia and Kim needed. You need a plan-not a label--to succeed.
John La Puma M.D. is co-author of the NY Times bestselling RealAge Diet and Cooking the RealAge Way, with Dr. Michael Roizen. His published recipes are online, and he is Medical Director of CHEF Clinic (http://www.drjohnlapuma.com), a unique, referral-based, nutrition-only national medical practice with patients nationwide who want to lose weight no matter what it takes. He is also an Executive Member at Costco.
detailed home cleaning Park Ridge ..I want to make this perfectly clear, fruits are healthy... Read More
Ah the ever present battle to lose those unwanted pounds.... Read More
If you're on a weight loss program you're under constant... Read More
If you have been dieting and haven't lost weight, stop!... Read More
New gastric bypass patients say they miss food, they grieve... Read More
Diet Fads-Forget about 'EmAnother fad "best diet" bites the dust.... Read More
Nothing is more disappointing than hearing a gastric bypass patient... Read More
Supporters of the Atkins Diet claim that a low carbohydrate... Read More
You may be considering a low carb diet program, but... Read More
Once in a while a good title comes along and... Read More
I've talked to quite a few fellow gastric bypass patients... Read More
Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health.... Read More
If only there were a 'better body boot camp', we'd... Read More
Looking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for... Read More
Negative calorie foods are said to use more calories to... Read More
Have you noticed since your WLS and return to regular... Read More
Fifteen Secrets of Safe and Easy Permanent Weight Loss Revealed!*... Read More
Are you working hard in the gym 3 times a... Read More
Some of you will not like what I'm going to... Read More
To continue the educational series on your health and fitness... Read More
Everyone from politicians to parents is talking about fighting the... Read More
How to Break the Weighing HabitFace it, if you weigh... Read More
It's the travel time, meaning hours spent sedentary. It prepares... Read More
I bet you already know all the health benefits for... Read More
You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More
express cleaning service Des Plaines ..Dieting presents many complications if you are not fully committed... Read More
According to a recent survey by the National Health Institute,... Read More
Losing Weight quickly and easily has become one of the... Read More
Welcome to lesson #2. First of all, I believe that... Read More
Like millions of men and women, I started resolving to... Read More
1. What is Atkins Diet? Dr. Atkins diet, first introduced... Read More
Do you have a big event coming up? Perhaps you... Read More
For years the experts have been telling us that diets... Read More
In this age being ignorant is like committing a crime.... Read More
Getting started on an exercise program is one thing. Staying... Read More
When it comes to the matter of weight loss, peoples... Read More
In life, various factors contribute to weight gain. Be it... Read More
Axiom Number One - Nourish your body.Probably the most important... Read More
Obesity in America is at an epidemic level. It is... Read More
I've worked with hundreds of people who were interested in... Read More
A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now... Read More
Diet is a dreadful word for most of us because... Read More
I had 14 weight/health-oriented newsletters in my inbox this morning.... Read More
There are many factors that cause us to increase body... Read More
We've entered the Twilight Zone when it comes to the... Read More
"I tried that diet and lost 8 pounds in the... Read More
I remember back in my senior year of high school... Read More
The diary is an essential help in reaching your weight... Read More
Do you know this year Florida will go through a... Read More
Women on diets need more calcium than normal to avoid... Read More
Weight Loss |