I have written on this topic before, referencing the best book (imo) on this subject: Health at Every Size by Jane Bacon, Ph.D. However, now "traditional" medical research has finally caught up with the truth that there is no evidence that weight loss alone improves health!
The medical profession's (and the pharmaceutical industry's) unrelenting drum beating about losing weight takes zero consideration of the type, quality and source of food that the dieter is consuming. We've all been barraged by numerous weight loss fad diets, pills and food delivery systems, daily. We've been told that if you have diabetes, weight loss is central to avoiding heart disease. Well, it appears that both studies by AHEAD ( Action for Health in Diabetes) and the results of a 19-year study in Denmark have come to the same conclusion: Weight loss had no effect on deaths among diabetic patients.
Dieting is about the only recommendation by doctors for diabetics (not to mention the questionable medications for Type 2 diabetes when healthy lifestyle usually reverses the diabetes) because they are short-term successful even though long-term weak and frequently damaging (due to the affects of yo-yo dieting). People frequently become healthier, in the beginning, when dieting, usually because they improve their lifestyle (exercising, eating more nutrient-dense foods and cutting out the junk foods), but the focus of the doctors and patients is on dieting and not lifestyle.
Research has shown time and time again that our lifestyle habits are much more important than weight loss. Unfortunately, because the focus is weight loss instead of life-changing habits, people tire of "willpower-centered" deprivation eating, regain most of the weight (if not more) and go back to their old eating and lifestyle habits. Thus the "I've-tried-every-diet-and-they-don't-work-for-me," merry-go-round continues.
What truly matters is a combination of daily exercise (walking is terrific), drinking lots of water (no sugary or sugar-substitute drinks), cutting out smoking, getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep a night and eating fresh, in-season vegetables and fruits, good fats (coconut, avocado, sunflower, olive oils) and high-quality proteins (no fast foods).
Did you know that deaths from obesity account for 2-3% of deaths in the
U.S. but low fitness is estimated to be responsible for 16-17% of
deaths? Smoking, high blood pressure, low income and loneliness are better predictors of early death than obesity, when considered individually.
Get up, get out and start moving; stop eating the "great American diet" and you'll live a stronger and healthier life.
Dr. Esther
fixdhealthcare.com
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