"I need someone to help me say no!" Obesity diet problems. |
Obesity medicine in general seems to be based on the concept that once a
person loses the weight, it stays off but in reality, this is seldom, if
ever, true. Also, some providers tell patients to keep away from
carbohydrates and only eat proteins etc. This is a concept which was
disproven long ago. (Some
doctors even have a website pointing out the dangers of the low carb
diet). In truth, calories are the bottom line and even Dr Atkins admitted
in his last book that you can get just as overweight from too many protein
calories as you can from too many calories of any other type of food. Every diet reduces the metabolism (how many calories you need a day) by 400-500 so as you can see, if a person keeps losing and re-gaining weight, they end up with a low metabolism, making the almost inevitable re-gain happen faster. Most Weight Loss surgery (WLS) surgeons, tell patients they have to lose a percentage of their weight with conventional dieting in order to get ready for surgery. Besides hopefully establishing a new lifestyle, this also reduces issues like "fatty liver" et al, reducing surgical risks somewhat, however somehow the information that this must be their new lifestyle after surgery, seems to seldom reach the potential patients... even if surgeons try hard to convey this information in their seminars (most of them do try to inform pre ops). Patients seem to make a last ditch effort to lose the pre surgery weight, feeling that the surgery will do it all for them, easily and painlessly. The surgeons cannot be blamed for these false ideas in patients because I've seen surgeons who try hard to warn patients that if they don't diet and exercise after surgery, they not only won't keep off the weight but they may become sick, too. That being said, I, who have kept off over 100 lbs for more than 6 years and have researched this stuff for the last 38 years, wonder at times, how the public can continue to be so misinformed about diets and weight loss, despite the fact that 95% of the public, surgery or not, is unsuccessful in keeping off the weight in the long run. The following about maintaining weight loss should be noted:
Take note of the above and you won't need to change your digestive tract to lose weight and maintain it. Or if you don't want to do this, follow HAES (Health at Every Size). Several studies found that overweight folks who make mostly healthy food choices and do cardio exercise at least 5 times a week, are almost as healthy as folks at their "ideal weight" who make healthy food choices and do regular cardio exercise, and may be more healthy than the average sedentary American regardless of size. Don't buy the hype. See for example, "BIG FAT LIES" by Glenn Gaesser, PhD Partial list of research material I've read:
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