Articles & News About Health

The Crazy Amazing Diet Maker

This past Christmas Season, as most of us stuffed our faces full of turkey and pies, a well respected weight loss expert from WebMD made some crazy remarks about ending obesity.

Needless to say, the response to his rhetoric, despite the Christmas Season, was naughty not nice. Dr. George D. Lundberg, Editor-in-Chief for Medscape General Medicine, had this to say about his "crazy" diet idea:

"Ho! Ho! Ho! Here we are in the holiday season right between those 2 great American days of gluttony. What is Scrooge's holiday greeting this year? It is about overeating, of course.

How can we stop the obese from becoming more obese? Pretty simple. Stop feeding them. Think about the other common self-destructive human behaviors. On a commercial airplane, in a saloon, or at a professional sports event, if the customer is deemed to be drunk, the keepers of the booze key will lock the cabinet. If a person drives a car at a dangerous speed, the driver is subject to substantial penalties.

For young persons known to be at high risk for early chemical addictions, society tries to prevent exposure to the addicting drugs.

Overeating with underexercising is now killing more Americans than anything else except tobacco addiction. Yet, an obese person enters an eating joint, or a supermarket, and buys and eats any and everything he or she wants, and nobody seems to care. Does that make any sense to you?

Meanwhile, Big Science strives to understand why people get fat; Big Genetics searches for the obesity gene so that stem cells could correct the flaw; Big Surgery lines up the morbidly obese to shunt their stomachs; Big Pharma seeks the next weight-loss pill that will help more people than it kills; Big Nutrition hawks the newest sure-thing, weight-loss diet; Big Fast Food pushes "healthy food" lines right next to their billion dollar unhealthy food lines; Big Soda and Big School Boards share the profit from drowning kids with calories from vending machines; and Big Exercise pushes group rates for aerobics class. Money made by so many special interests.

All this while the simple answer is to stop eating; stop feeding the obese until they are no longer obese. Of course, that may be hard to do, and who makes any money that way? Fat chance for this crazy idea to go anywhere. That's my opinion. I'm Dr. George Lundberg, Editor of MedGenMed. Happy Holidays!"

Now, as you can imagine, health care providers, dieters, and web surfers were not happy with his remarks. They immediately and appropriately attacked, firing back with real science facts, healthy weight loss tips and the benefits of regular exercise.

It was nice to see the real experts come out for a day or two and make some noise. One of the experts is Jon Robison, PhD, from Michigan State. He said:

"It is truly hard to believe that MedGenMed would print an editorial[1] so scientifically inaccurate and ethically unconscionable ("How to Prevent the Obese From Becoming 'Obeser'). As a health professional (doctorate in health education and masters degrees in exercise physiology and nutrition), I am even more dismayed that this hateful diatribe was written by a fellow health professional -- and a medical doctor no less!

Never mind that the doctor is obviously not familiar with the latest information from the CDC [US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], showing that the link between weight and mortality has likely been greatly exaggerated. Never mind that the analogies to alcohol and illegal drugs are inept at best -- hard to imagine abstinence from food as a viable alternative.

The most egregious aspects of this editorial are the outright prejudice and moral disgust it portrays.

There is certainly no great argument with the contention that many Americans could increase their exercise and eat more healthfully. However, prejudice raises its ugly head when the contention is made that it is possible to discern who is or is not eating or exercising properly by merely looking at the size and shape of one's body! Most Americans (fat or thin) are not getting enough exercise, and the research is clear that fatness and fitness are not mutually exclusive.

Condemning a fat person's eating, or assuming that a thin person is eating well (can you say anorexia nervosa?), is no different from concluding that a person is less intelligent by looking at the color of his/her skin. Judging people's intelligence, health, or behaviors based on how they look is not science; it is prejudice -- and prejudice has no place in our culture or in our healthcare system.

We can do and be so much better than this!"

Mary Emerson, MS, a Clinical Dietitian from Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook, Maine, had this to say (emphasis added):

"You compared your solution of not feeding an obese person[1] to an intoxicated person not being served in a bar, yet we know that that hasn't cured alcoholism.

Gastric bypass surgery is one of the most popular elective surgical procedures. The answer for the cure is far more complex than simply training more surgeons to do the procedure or not allowing overweight people to purchase baked goods.

Just as prohibition did not eliminate alcoholism, these measures will not eliminate obesity. Rather, we need to change how we approach our medical care, not to solve the problem once there is a problem, but to achieve a healthier lifestyle with emphasis on not only our physical health, but also our mental health and emotional well-being.

I believe that it is very important in mental health to evaluate the risks of obesity on our patients, not in decreasing longevity, but in decreasing the quality of their lives by lowered self-esteem and health complications, such as feeling tired, weak, and unable to take part in many activities that they previously enjoyed."

Wonderful! Finally the truth. No fad diets, no rapid weight loss, no "eat anything you want and still lose weight" lies...just pure science coming from the real experts who care.

Maybe Dr. Lundberg isn't so crazy after all...or maybe he is. Either way, it was a good day!

Healthy Living!

Michael A. Smith, MD
The Weight Loss Professional

Dr. Smith is the primary physician and consultant for the Weight Loss Professional Website. His interests include preventative medicine, the genetic etiology of obesity, and several others too numerous to list. Please visit his Website at http://www.weight-loss-professional.com and let him know what you think.

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Health Insurance, Health Care Issues Now Top Rated Topics for Radio Listeners According to Arbitron
The Health Insurance Advocate Show, With Cary Hall, Achieves One Year Ratings Increase of 119 Percent in Western Missouri, Eastern Kansas Market and 576 Percent in Wichita, Kansas, Market By Delivering Clarity and Eliminating Confusion

The PIE Diet - Mental Health Food
"The PIE Diet - Mental Health Food" reveals an award-winning program for individual growth, which has previously been available only to the corporate world. It outlines necessary action-steps to make the "law of attraction" work for, and not against, individuals and corporations. Contained is a easy step-by-step process for conditioning the subconscious mind to both envision and enable control of who we are, what we do, and what we desire to achieve with our lives.

World Health Care Congress Launches ReformPlans.com to Encourage and Focus Health Care Reform Discussion
The World Health Care Congress today announced the launch of ReformPlans.com (www.reformplans.com), an innovative and comprehensive web site that brings the real issues in health care reform to a broader audience.

Florida Health Insurance Highlights 2008 Presidential Health Care Plans
FloridaHealthInsuranceWeb.com, a health insurance consultant service, has published a non-partisan report of each of presidential candidates positions on healthcare. 'The upcoming elections will impact Florida's health care system' said consultant Morgan Moran in a phone interview, 'it's up to you as Florida residents to turn out January 29 and choose which candidate delivers the best insurance plan'.

Health Care Proxies, Advanced Health Care Directives, And Living Wills
Any competent adult has the right to accept and/or refuse any medical treatment. Nobody disputes that. Doctors are only allowed to tell patients the pros and cons of treatment, they can offer advice, they can not order a patient to accept treatment. Problems start when the adult can no longer communicate or is no longer considered mentally competent enough to make their own decisions. When this happens other people step in and try to decide what type of medical treatment the person would want for themselves.

Health & Dental Care Costs Rising At Epidemic Proportions – Here's How To Protect Yourself & Family
Health care costs are now approaching 15% of our national economy and the economic repercussions have been felt by most American families as employers are unwilling to absorb the bulk of the health care cost burden.In 2004, employer health insurance premiums increased by 11.

St. George Complimentary Alternative Health Care Offers Free Wellness Scans During Focus on Nutrition Month
The desire to get healthy and stay healthy is the primary reason more and more people are turning to natural health care, or complementary and alternative medicine, according to this St. George Hinkle practices alternative medicine utilizing personalized biofeedback using ZYTO technology, nutraceutical assessments, medical foods, bio-identical hormone evaluation, chelation, lifestyle changes, and body composition analysis.

Doctor-led Health Care Organization Offers Free Web site, Membership to Mental Health Counselors
The International Assoc. of Dental and Medical Disciplines has a health care plan that brings together all medical disciplines and calls for them to work together to provide the best possible whole-body care.

Men's Prostate Health Vitamins - Supplements, Diet and Exercise For Good Health
This article is about prostate health vitamins or supplements used in conjunction with proper diet and regular exercise to keep a man's urinary system and sexual functions healthy.

Natural Health Care and Holistic Dog Health
Holistic dog health care has emerged as a natural way for pet owners to ensure that their dogs are healthy, living long, happy lives well into old age. Perhaps the most important aspect for a dog's health would be a unique blend of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to make sure the joints, organs, and digestive systems make work in harmony as well with the skin and coat being healthy. A diet of meat, vegetables, and whole grains without any processed foods or unnecessary fillers is usually recommended when following the holistic approach to dog care.

Health Care - If You Love Health Care
All about Health Care: Intended For Individuals

Florida's Family Health Insurance Rates Usually Unaffordable, Says Health Insurance Consultant
The average family insurance policy in Florida comes with a $6000 per year deductible, and a premium that amounts to more than $7000 per year; the total coming to more than $13,000 for a family of four. Many Floridians have no choice but to go without health insurance. This "do-without" attitude actually costs Florida taxpayers in the long run more than if coverage was offered free to all.

Diet for Disease Prevention and Senior Health Care
Maintaining a healthy diet throughout life can do more than just keep you slim and fit. Healthy eating is important to senior health care and can sometimes prevent diseases such as heart disease and cancer, as well as provide relief for diseases such as osteoporosis. Unfortunately, the importance of eating well is often pushed aside by our busy day to day lives. We continue to jeopardize our future health and get caught up in the cycle of fast food, large portions and sodium laden meals. A healthy diet doesnt have to be daunting on our schedules, or mean giving up all the food we love. A simple eating plan can actually make meals and snacks more efficient for both our time and our bodies.

New Health Website Provides Health Tips About Alternative Natural Health Care
Summary: In answer to the need for helpful information on alternative natural health care a new site, http://www.youralternativehealthnetwork.org has been launched. The site provides quality information regarding alternative health issues and is the brainchild of Mike Hepburn.