My wife was obese. When we were first married in our twenties, she was a few pounds overweight. As the years flew by, she began craving more sweets and trending toward larger portions of fattier foods. Every New Years Day, she began a different diet along with a pledge to really be good during the ensuing year. By every February, she was back to her old habits. Twenty years later, she was 100 pounds overweight. A decade after that, she weighed 325 pounds and stood five foot six inches tall. Ill get back to her in a moment, but first, lets talk about you.
You are probably reading this article because: (a) its the beginning of a New Year and youre overweight, (b) you really want some easy answers , (c) youre sick of dieting and exercise, or (d) you figure that someone must have a secret cure. Well, youve come to the right place. But first, my credentials.
No, Im not a physician or fitness guru and my degree is in marketing. But rather Im a student of human nature. I lived with an obese person for over 30 years and have an obese sister and brother-in-law. I, myself, have had slew of exercise equipment over the years, including treadmills, cycles, rowing machines, weights, elliptical trainers, and barbells. I take a variety of supplements and have had a gym membership. Ive known nutritional experts and naturopaths. My weight hasnt varied more than 10 pounds in 20 years. But I have friends who struggle with the issue and I see more and more that are. Im approaching 60 and realize that being fit can add years to my life. But enough about me. Were here to talk about you.
There are chemists and geneticists working on engineering chemicals to vaccinate against weight gain. Eventually, you may be inoculated at birth against excessive poundage. But thats a few decades off. In todays world, weight gain is almost inevitable. Restaurants offer prodigious portions. Snack foods abound. Fast food is never low-fat. Even low-fat, and low-carb foods are high in their sugar content. Soda is loaded with calories, as is beer and wine. So where does one turn? Fruit and fruit juices? Wrong because they are also caloric by nature. Can you live on celery or lettuce for extended periods because they are low in everything? Of course they are tasteless and unfulfilling. Ditto to some cereals and tofu. There must be a better way.
If you choose not to change your diet and the thought of exercise makes you want to throw up, perhaps youre on the right path. Anorexia will keep your stomach empty and allow you to eat whatever you want. Of course you may loose your teeth from the acidic reflux and have other side affects, but so what? You will loose weight. Fine, so that may not be the answer. Oprah has endorsed Hoodia, the latest wonder-drug. But long-term studies havent proven it safe. No diet pill alone has ever done the trick.
Okay, Ive teased you long enough. Its time to reveal the secret and crux of this article. But let me first return to my wife. She reached 325 pounds and, with her doctors blessing, had gastric bypass surgery. Within the first three months, she lost 80 pounds. Within the first four months, she lost her life. She died at age 55 from a heart attack brought on by decades of obesity and the toll it took on her heart. Which brings me to the real secret. Death. Its the first three letters of diet. There you have it. Now you will never gain weight and dont have to be bothered with all that stress of diet and exercise. After all, it worked for her. Now before I get hate email responses, let me explain.
I loved my wife dearly and tried to get her help. I watched her go through dozens of diets, to no avail. Surgery was her last chance, albeit, too late. Those of you that are reading this article are still alive and have many choices. Im writing this as a word of warning and hope. Dont allow your weight problem to get out of hand. Take action right now and do the right thing. Rid your house of junk food, begin to take walks, and watch those portions. Forget pills, diet powders and so-called miracle cures. Make a lifestyle change and commit to a new and better you. Thats the real secret to weight-loss success without sugar-coating it, pardon the pun.
Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix." His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages" which can be seen at his website, http://www.poweradbook.com Currently, he is the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffrey_Hauser | ![]() |
News Roundup and Quick Links
The Carrot Diet A woman eats carrots every 15 minutes for 3 months in order to cure her infertility. The solution seemed to work as she became pregnant. A tabloid special Active kids say slim "Children who did 15 minutes a day of moderate exercise -- equivalent to a brisk walk -- were 50 percent less likely than inactive...
Obesity At The Time Of Prostate-Cancer Diagnosis Dramatically Increases The Risk Of Dying From The Disease
Obese men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer have more than two-and-a-half times the risk of dying from the disease as compared to men of normal weight at the time of diagnosis, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The findings by senior author Alan Kristal, Dr.P.H., and colleagues appear online and will be published in the March 15 print edition of the journal Cancer. [click link for full article]
Organic Foods: How and Why to Make the Shift
What are organics, and why are they so important in helping us to maintain good health? Dag Falck, Organic Program Manager for Nature's Path Foods Inc., talks about how to consumers can make the shift to a primarily organic diet. He also describes the issues facing organic farmers, and how Nature's Path is working with them to maintain the integrity of this rapidly growing industry.
Obesity High Among Baltimore's Homeless, Johns Hopkins Researchers Say
A small but telling study from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center reveals an ominous trend: more than expected, obesity shadows Baltimore's homeless children and their caregivers, putting them at high risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, among other conditions."Not long ago, homeless people were undernourished. [click link for full article]
As Obesity In Children Increases, The Incidence Of Fatty Liver Disease Rises
Indiana University School of Medicine researchers are taking a closer look at a disease whose incidence is rising as obesity in children increases. Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis, more popularly known as Fatty Liver Disease, occurs in approximately 15% of obese children. Fatty Liver Disease, in which fat accumulates in the liver, while not life threatening in children, can lead to cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, sometimes requiring transplantation by adulthood. [click link for full article]
In Obesity, Brain Becomes 'Unaware' Of Fat
Critical portions of the brain in those who are obese don't really know they are overweight, researchers have reported in the March issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, published by Cell Press. These findings in obese mice show that a sensor in the brain that normally detects a critical fat hormone - causing a cascade of events that keeps energy balance in check - fails to engage. Meanwhile, the rest of the metabolic pathway remains ready to respond. [click link for full article]
Corn: How Much Do You Eat?
When I think of corn - I think of a tasty cob - freshly picked at the height of summer. If only it was really like that. Corn (Zea Mays) is actually a major ingredient in a phenomenal number of processed foods (corn syrup in particular). A new feature-length documentary - King Corn - explores the whole corn industry...
High BMI Associated With Lower Likelihood Of Being Discharged Home After Hospitalization For Stroke
Individuals with a higher body mass index (BMI) tend are less likely to be discharged directly home after hospitalization for an ischemic stroke, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. An ischemic stroke occurs when the flow of blood to a part of the brain is blocked or reduced and sufficient amounts of oxygen cannot be delivered to brain tissue. [click link for full article]
The Nutritional Accuracy of Popular Magazines
The ACSH (American Council on Science and Health) have completed a large review of many popular magazines. Their goal was to evaluate the quality of nutritional information presented. Apparently 42% of US consumers make diet-related changes on the basis of information from health and fitness magazines. So - who do you trust?...
Philips 598: The Phone For Weight-Conscious Women
Philips are releasing a cell phone targeted towards women. What's intriguing about the phone is the feature set. The features include both a Body Mass Index calculator and a Basal Metabolic Rate feature. Apparently women need to be able to calculate their BMI anywhere anytime....