Health

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This is the first in a series of articles about obesity. In this and upcoming articles, Dr. Gardner discusses how obesity happens; why losing weight is seemingly easy for some and nearly impossible for others; common misunderstandings about weight loss and gain; and some exclusive information from Dr. Gardner that proposes a unique theory and answers many of your questions.

Announcement of Upcoming Seminar in Salt Lake City

Before tackling this topic of obesity, I will be in the Salt Lake City area on Friday, June 25, to give a seminar on “The 3-Step System for Feeling Fantastic in 30 Days.” If you’d like to learn more, and perhaps register, please click here.

The Dilemma of Obesity

Our society has grown used to fat people. More than one-third of the US population is obese, while quite a number more are overweight. If we want to identify the causes and solve the problems, both on a personal and on a national level, we have a project ahead of us.

We are all familiar with the risks and problems with being overweight. Among them are insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, increased blood pressure, back and joint problems, being tired. Obesity makes it difficult to play with the children and grandchildren. It makes our joints and legs ache, and it is challenging to bend over, or sit on the floor. It can be embarrassing or impossible to sit in a seat with two arm rests without crowding the person next to us.

Yet this was not the case 100 years ago. Obesity then was rare – even with people eating large quantities of food. Frances Parkinson Keyes, an author from the early 1950s, paints a clear picture of how things were in her cookbook:

Speaking of food that was cool and refreshing, I should not fail to say that the back piazza was also the home of the ice cream freezer, which, when not in use, was turned on its side at the edge of the granite steps to drain and dry, but which seldom had a chance to dry out very thoroughly, as it was in fairly constant use.

“Boughten” ice cream, like boughten bread, was unheard of; the grinding noise, associated with its freezing, was as familiar a sound on Sunday morning as the ringing church bells; and it was also understood that the dasher, when removed from the can still dripping, was the lawful prerequisite of the young, as were the saucepans in which frosting had been made.

But Sundays were not the only days when we had a frozen dessert. We always had it for a party, and two extra persons could be designated as constituting a party, if one of them were grown-up. We always had it when anyone in our household or a neighboring household was ill, or threatened with illness, or convalescent. We always had it when berries or fruit were so abundant that it was impossible for a small family to can them all or to eat them all in their natural state.

Oh, the raspberry sherbet that came off that back piazza! Oh, the peach ice cream! My mouth waters yet at the memory of them! How glad I am that, in those days, no one – at least, no one in Newbury, Vermont – had ever heard of calories or vitamins, as I said before, but simply believed that normal amounts of any appetizing and nourishing food were necessary to health. What is more, everyone lived to a ripe old age, and I cannot remember a single person who was either over or under weight.

Since that time, some things have happened in our world: to our overall health, to our eating habits, and the food we consume. We must learn from the lessons of the past and undo the mistakes of the present. As a society, we need to get back to where we were, and understand what has brought us to this point of rampant, unhealthy obesity. Learning what constitutes healthy eating (and what contributes to obesity) would be good information for all of us, whether overweight or not.

Some Present-Day Misconceptions

The dominant present diet philosophy is “calories in – calories out.” If you eat fewer calories or burn more calories (exercise), or both, then the overall calorie balance is in favor of losing weight, much like a bank account.

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For some people this works.

I know a gentleman who was losing enough weight that his suit at church did not fit him anymore. He had lost at least 60 pounds before everyone asked him how he did it. “I quit eating candy and pop at work,” came the response. His implication was that anyone who did the same thing would experience the same results. (That admission was discouraging – if it were that easy for me, I’d be really skinny!) His rapid weight loss was inspiring. But it didn’t last. A couple of years later, he is heavier than he was before his weight loss.

I have many patients who eat much less, exercise much more, and still can’t lose weight. So, although the “calories in, calories out” concept is compelling – and true in some cases – it does not work for everyone. This diet theory is clearly a case of “one size does not fit all!” (pun intended)

Another popular misconception is that someone, somewhere, has the magic answer. We just need to find the right program, read the right book, follow the right plan, and our weight will magically adjust into a svelte, trim, magazine-cover-worthy version of our self.

The picture of another friend, who lost close to 100 pounds, showed him in the pants he used to wear, with his hand pulling out the waist. Beside him in the picture was a stack of at least 30 different diet books he had tried, but this meal plan from XYZ company was the reason for his success (and it could be for you too. Just sign up below, says the brochure). Now, 10 years later, he also is the same size as his former self (or slightly heavier).

If the “calories in, calories out” theory and the diet plan theory don’t work 100% of the time, what’s going on? What works, and what doesn’t, and how do we figure it out?

An Amazing Creation at Work

I see the body more as a biochemistry laboratory than as a bank. The body is alive, constantly seeking to attain a state of balance and harmony. Atoms, molecules, cells, organs, limbs and fluids perform in concert to keep bodily functions alive and healthy. When imbalance occurs (through a number of factors that we will explore in this series), our bodies show the imbalance in outward manifestation. Imbalance shows as disease, weakness, aches and pains, infection, and other manifestations, among them obesity.

So, How Do We Lose Weight?

Losing weight is accomplished by identifying the contributing factors and making the necessary life changes. This sounds simple, but it is not, or else we would all be the ideal weight.

Why do we continually beat our heads against the wall, limiting our intake to insanely small amounts of food (and the wrong kind, to boot), feeling bloated, unattractive, ineffective, out of control, embarrassed, and miserable?

Why do we spend hours searching fruitlessly for the magic fix – the protein shake, the compelling book, the cabbage or egg or grapefruit recipe? “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.”

We must look beyond the temporary fixes to a lifestyle change. We also need to understand what is going on inside our bodies. Some people just need to make some minor changes to lose weight or to stop the gain in weight. Many people need to make more changes, either temporary or permanent, to actually lose weight that stays off. We need to understand where the obesity began, and then take steps to eliminate the triggers.

The Greatest Factors

Many people have asked me what I think is the single biggest factor in the obesity epidemic. I believe it is the effects of industrialization, with all its ramifications. I can break it down into some key elements:

processed food,

fast food,

fast everything (without regard to its true value – more on this later)

labor-saving devices that eliminate movement and physical labor. We drive to work, sit at a desk much of the day, use electric can openers, and sit in front of the television set for entertainment. (Sorry guys, watching the game is not the same as playing the game.)

Some Quick Changes to Make

We need to get back to basics.

1. First and foremost, eat real food, found around the perimeter of the store. (Some people think they have “fixed” a dinner by opening a can and a box, following the directions on the side, and serving it)

2.

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Find something useful or fun for movement – and learn to love and appreciate your body in the process:

dancing,

playing ping pong,

walking in nature,

playing with a Wii when weather does not permit outside activity

outdoor gardening or

service projects.

At 58, I still play basketball and tennis. My wife swims and savors working out in the pool.

3. Start today to incorporate these quick changes into your habits. Whether or not you begin to lose weight, you will begin to feel better. Get in touch with your body again. Slow down and start listening to what it is telling you.

Next time we will discuss a revolutionary concept about fat in the body and why we look so swollen. (It’s not all fat!)

I have put together a program called “Ease on Down” that is designed to help you understand what helps your body to attain its optimal weight, and help you feel and look better. I would greatly appreciate your input, so that my program will be of the greatest service to participants.

If you have any comments or questions you would like addressed, you may post them at my website, https://www.stangardnermd.com. Please Press Here to participate in a quick survey on dieting, obesity, and how I can help you attain your health (and weight) goals:

Notes

2 Rita Mae Brown, Sudden Death (Bantam Books, New York, 1983), p. 68.