|
by: Dr. Donald A. Miller
Under the theory that "seeing is believing", people continue to buy
books and pills for dramatic weight loss in 7 days, or 4 weeks, or
some other rather short interval. What should be checked is how much
weight loss remains effective in one year.
There are several reasons for this caution.
Recognize that the ability to store calories as fat is pro survival,
when the food supply various a lot throughout a year. With steady
food supplies, this is anti survival. Eat more calories than you
need, of whatever type, and you will put on fat. Even excess protein
consumption is stored as fat. Note that high meat diets are high in
saturated fat as well as protein.
Most people who try to lose weight do not make permanent changes to
life style. They can lose a few pounds in the short term, but not
keep them off.
Many fast diet schemes are tricks, some even dangerous. Especially
bad are those plans which emphasize weight loss, but ignore what
component of weight is lost.
WATER LOSS: many plans show quick results because they cause the
body to drop water. The medical term for such pills is diuretics.
Weight-wrap clothing makes one hot, and sweat. The same is achieved
with steam rooms, saunas, and the like. Any professional athlete
knows that a typical workout can cause the loss of 1 to 10 pounds of
water, or more, which must be replaced to prevent heat stroke, even
death.
MUSCLE LOSS: Many plans concentrate on reducing the total calories
consumed, which is great if done wisely. The dangerous plans are
those that starve the body so that muscle, as well as fat, is lost.
As most dieters return to pre diet food practices, the lost muscle
is usually replaced with fatty tissues. Muscle mass consumes
calories even when the body is at rest. Reducing muscle mass merely
to lose weight means that body is less balanced for controlling
weight.
LOSS OF INJESTED FOOD: bowel stimulants are okay if needed for
constipation, or to aid regularity, but NOT for weightloss. If you
aren't eating much raw fruits and vegetables, moderate doses of
dietary fiber supplements are okay.
FAT OR STARCH BLOCKERS: Two criteria must be met; they must work,
and be safe to the metabolism. None are known to exist. I wrote
elsewhere about chitosan, a "fat magnet" that does not work.
APPETITE KILLERS: They exist, but many have been removed from the
marketplace. Narcotics are one such drug group.
FEN-FEN or FEN-PHEN, fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, an anorexic
drug, was banned by the FDA in 1997, mainly due to heart valve
damage.
An alternative is to hold something nauseating under nose or tongue.
FAT BURNER STIMULANTS: "Fat burners" are a fictitious part of the
body. Pills to turn them up have nothing to work on.
METABOLISM ACCELERATORS: Amphetamines rev up the body, and formerly
were in wide use by dieters and by students who were cramming for
tests, as well as speed freaks. Tolerance requires increasing doses.
High doses cause sleeplessness, nervousness and euphoria, and can
cause death. Usage can be followed by intense mental depression and
fatigue. DON'T!
Late 2003, a class of weight loss pills was taken off the market,
due to deaths of athletes and dieters; Ephedra, also called Ma
huang, and synthesized ephedrine. Ephedrine alkaloids are
amphetamine-like compounds, used in some prescription medications,
and found in some herbal teas. The side effects include increase of
blood pressure and pulse rate, nerve damage, muscle injury,
psychosis, stroke, impaired memory, nervousness, tremors, seizures,
heart attacks, strokes. Who needs it?
READ THE LABELS. Many weight loss products contain a lot of sugar,
fructose, maltodextrin, thus sugar, sugar, modified corn starch.
These are lousy choices for good nutrition, and can bounce blood
sugar levels dangerously high, after which they can crash to
dangerously low (hypoglycemia). Ingesting too much refined sugar can
induce diabetes.
Thus, many "nutritional diet products" are nutritional only if
compared to high fat and high salt foods.
FAT RESTRICTION: This should be a permanent part of a healthful food
plan for anyone who is not very active physically. Prior to modern
mechanization, everyone but the pampered ruling classes used a lot
of calories all the time. This is why so many traditional / ethnic
foods are high in fat, such as bacon and sausage, pastries, fried
foods. What was good for great grand parents can be bad for us.
Here's a cruel truth. A little bit of fat is far more effective than
high protein or sugar foods at satisfying hunger. The trick is to
avoid saturated fats and trans fats (hydrogenated oils).
Smart dieters can get unsaturated fats from plant foods, such as
nuts and seeds. Outdoors enthusiasts are mostly familiar with "trail
foods", such as "GORP" = Good Old Raisins and Peanuts. I find that
almonds and raisins chewed together are very sweet and hunger
killing, so not a risk to weight control.
YOUR BEST DEFENSE against fraud of any kind is self education. Don't
be afraid to question what any source says, but consult several
sources that have no mission to sell you anything. Government
publications and Mayo Clinic advice are good examples which can be
reached on the internet.
About the author:
Dr. Donald A. Miller is author of "Easy Health Diet"
http://easyhealthdiet.com/diet.htm,"EasyExercise All Ages"
http://easyhealthdiet.com/eeaa.htm,andnumerous free articles on
health http://easyhealthdiet.com/articles/.
Seven of ten deaths are caused by preventable diseases.
|
