Government Against Diets
The Government of the Australian state of Victoria has started a campaign aimed at warning people of the dangers of fad diets. The campaign is believed to be the first of its kind in the world.
With Australians second only to the US in both obesity rates and weight loss expenditure, the authorities are getting concerned about more and more people risking not only their money but also their long-term health by following fad diets. Especially low-carb diets like Atkins, and radical deprivation diets like the Cabbage-Soup-Diet, seem to be the target of the warning campaign.
As it is often the case with politicians, the warning message is not accompanied by a positive alternative you could use to lose weight and improve your health. Some general comments about calories reduction are not only unhelpful, but also against the trend of latest scientific research – research proving that most overweight individuals actually consume less food than those at normal weight.
The problem for the Government is that any science-based recommendations, for example to reduce consumption of sugar and sweets, could be very dangerous politically, as the producers of those products form strong political lobbies and may be able to swing crucial seats. So for the consumer it is a bit like those warnings on packages that we all hate – they tell you what not to do, instead of explaining how to actually use the thing!
In addition to the politics of it, there is also no universally accepted scientific truth about why we put on weight, and how to reverse it. While a lot of bona fide research points towards hormonal imbalance and the foods that create it, the powerful industries that produce those foods are easily able to fund twice as much research proving otherwise. We see the scientists becoming a little like lawyers: if you have enough money, they will prove whatever you want to be the truth.
Just like with all the other questions we have about life, looking up to the politicians is not going to give us an answer.
Darius Mikolajewski is author of books and articles that advocate safe and natural methods of weight loss. For more information about him visit dietofnature.com
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Children of Gastric Bypass Patients at Risk for Eating Disorders
As parents who’ve had gastric bypass we face many challenges raising a family. Perhaps an unexpected challenge is when a child develops an eating disorder that may be exacerbated by the parents dieting habits. It turns out as our children observe us diet and fail (repeatedly) before having gastric bypass, then they watch us lose weight in an almost obsessive excitement after weight loss surgery (WLS), some panic and vow "this will not happen to me." A descent into an eating disorder may follow.
According to AnorexiaBulimaHelp "Dieting or restriction of certain foods, or excessive dieting from parents" is a contributing factor in teen and pre-teen eating disorders. In addition "The appearance obsessed society most people live in can contribute to eating disorders . . . When combined with a low self-esteem, feelings of depression or anxiety or isolation, the effects can be devastating. Eating disorders commonly erupt as a coping mechanism, as a way for people to feel more "normal" and in control in a society that isn’t really normal to begin with."
Wow. Are you worried? Growing up I watched my mother work her way up and down the scale many times. No need to name the diets she tried: we all tried them. I believe I learned from her that diet equals failure. It seems like every time she’d get to the benchmark, "this is the lowest weight I’ve been since having my first child" suddenly her weight loss would stop and back up the scale she’d climb at a rapid rate. She is morbidly obese today and no longer attempts dieting. Who can blame her?
Did she know that was the lesson she was teaching me? That eventually I’d “diet” myself into morbid obesity? I don’t think so, and I don’t blame her. She didn’t know any better.
We know better today. It is our stewardship to our children to do the best we can to protect them, raise them healthy, and teach them healthy habits of nutrition and exercise. We owe it to our children to keep them off the operating table and out of eating disorder treatment centers.
But how to do that? By example and by being informed.
AnorexiaBulimaHelp.com is a comprehensive resource on eating disorders – if you fear someone in your family is suffering from an eating disorder please visit this site. The site includes many links to several other resources about eating disorders.
Copyright ? 2005 Kaye Bailey – All Rights Reserved.
Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of livingafterwls.com and livingafterwls.blogspot.com Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often.
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