[King Prout]

looks like the series of articles has started to cause ripples

[DB]

We reduced the fats, like butter and meats, and increased the intake of refined wheat and sugars.

And we gained weight...

And diabetes grew dramatically in the population...

It couldn’t possibly be that Atkins was right and everyone else was wrong…

Personally, I think he’s right.

[Mitchell]

Ping.

[mewzilla]

There's no substitute for eating healthy and exercising. Especially the latter. Then you can have your creme brulee and eat it, too.

[Keith in Iowa]

In The beginning, God populated the earth with broccoli and cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then, using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's and Krispy Creme. And Satan said, You want chocolate with that? And Man said Oh Yeah. And Woman said, and another one with sprinkles. And they gained 10 pounds.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair.

And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane, and combined them. And Woman went from size 2 to size 10.

So God said, Try my fresh green salad.

And Satan presented Thousand-Island and Creamy Ranch Dressing and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, I have sent you heart-healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them.

And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then brought running shoes so that his children might lose those extra pounds.

And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering light and gained more pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition.

And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so the Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite.

And Satan created McDonald s and it s 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, You want fries with that? And Man replied, Oh Yeah! And super-size 'em. And Satan said, It is good. And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

And Satan created HMOs

[dawn53]

I, personally, think weight obsession is a blight on our society.

Did Rubens think the women he painted were obese? Probably not, they looked healthy to him.

Many models, that young girls emulate, look like they came out of Auschwitz.

Nobody knows anything about moderation.

I had a physical recently. All my blood work is perfect, low sugar, good cholesterol readings, etc. etc.

Blood pressure and heart rate perfect, and then the doctor mentions according to the charts I'm 10 lbs overweight. Who said the researchers that make the charts have the market cornered on what healthy should be?

I was thinking, when they give a woman a "perfect weight" do they take into consideration if she's big busted versus small busted? Do they take into consideration whether she's going through perimenopause (where temporary weight gain is a common problem)?

How can one size fits all be right? It just doesn't make sense. My elderly mother-in-law is thrilled now because instead of weighing her usual 140 that she's been for her entire life, she weighs 100 lbs. She sees it as a sign of something good, I see it as a prescription for problems should she get the flu or take a fall.

We've got one mixed up society when it comes to weight issues.

[Sam Cree]

"But behind these ideas is an intrinsic prejudice against fat people as irresponsible"

IMO, behind these ideas is mainly greed on the part of lawyers, who smell blood, and a payday.

[CaptRon]

Before we get behind policies and regulations to "fix" the obesity problem, we need to be sure they're based on sound science rather than intuition. Our favorite creme brulee may be at stake

I wonder if the author has the same opinion on second-hand smoke and Kyoto.

[Maria S]

1. Whether we like it or not, heredity DOES have a lot to do with our propensity to be overweight. But just because we have the TENDENCY to gain weight easily doesn't give us a pass to pack on the pounds.

2. Usually the really thin people we all know do NOT diet; they really aren't all that interested in food and eat only when they're really hungry. I have two friends who actually forget to eat until somebody asks when they ate last. They're too busy doing...whatever they do all day.

3. We've made food the center of our lives; everything is scheduled around food. Life isn't about food.

[keats5]

America's fatter because the Baby Boomers aged. They were all skinnier in the 70s. because we were teens and young adults. There's a ton of them, which can't help but skew the data.

[MaryFromMichigan]

As I see it... ;-)
Eat what you want, just watch the portions. And get some form of exercise.
Don't go a diet that doesn't let you eat the foods you like or crave because when you go off the diet (and 99% of people do) the weight will come right back.
Have a between meal snack so you don't get too hungry- your Mom was right, eating a snack before a dinner will ruin your appetite!
If you skip meals or cut down calories down too far- you'll probably overeat later.
We're overthinking this whole diet thing.

[neutrino]

(Chuckle!) bump!

[tob2]

Amen!

[Alberta's Child]

Simplest prescription for weight loss you'll ever see:

1. Do some form of exercise for at least an hour every other day (it can even be something light, such as walking in the park).

2. Give yourself eight hours of sleep every night, even if you don't use it all.

3. Throw away the diet books. The only things you should completely cut out of your diet are junk food, fast food, and high-fat cold cuts.

[BMiles2112]

In a 1990 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women controlling their eating had slowed their metabolisms down to where they were eating 620 fewer calories a day than their more slender but unrestrained eating friends.

I think this is a big one that you don't hear too much about. The parents of a friend of mine decided she was getting fat and forced her into dieting, a poor diet at that. She wasn't fat at all. Once dieting began, she actually began to gain weight and was always tired. This was the worst thing she could have done, in my opinion. It's a bit difficult to lose weight when your body isn't burning anything and you're tired all the time.

[krb]

Atlanta Journal Consitituion ^ | July 20 2003 | SANDY SZWARC

Lady, buy a vowel!

[wjcsux]

Carbohydrates are the real enemy for most people. Its amazing how many peoples diets consist almost entirely of carbs. There is a good book called "Body for Life" by Bill Phillips that has common sense advice for taking care of yourself. The bottom line is this. If you want to be healthy, you need to make lifestyle changes that will make this a reality.

[webstersII]

"The biggest myth about fat people is that they're gluttons. Yet in repeated clinical studies, researchers have found no meaningful difference in how many calories or the types of foods fat people eat compared with thinner people. That's counterintuitive, but true. "

That's the biggest bunch of baloney I've seen in a long time. All the really fat people I've known (I'm not talking about someone 15-20 lbs. overweight) eat alot of food. And they usually eat anything they want. They are the ones who have seconds and always eat dessert. A bunch of us were having a conversation in the breakroom at work about food and dieting and a rather large woman piped up and said, "Oh, don't tell me I can't eat what I want to eat. Eating whatever I want is the only pleasure I have in life".

Self-discipline is part of the equation. It's not all of it, because there are other nutritional factors like eating what is appropriate for you genetic type and emotional factors like binging when depressed, but I don't know anyone who maintains their ideal weight without some willpower. Also, most people don't like to exercise and it's almost impossible to maintain a healthy weight without it.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

I am replying before reading the thread so this may be redundant.

In addition to their previous targets, the left and their brown shirts, the trial lawyers, are now going after the necessities like food and booze.; :-)

In Dallas, our liberal mayor who banned smoking in restaurants, has suddenly discovered a dangerous potential water shortage. There are water police out enforcing the new water use regulations, such as when, how, and how much may be used to water lawns, wash cars, etc. There have been request to limit use in the past but that was during times of drought when the lakes supplying our water were really dangerously low. However, the lakes are now full and there is no threat of drought on the horizon. One of the lakes was even dredged last year and now holds more water than before.

IMHO, it is another attempt by liberals to slowly take over all aspects of our lives.

[redhead]

THE REAL SKINNY ON FAT by a Dietician/Nutritionist/Lipid (Fats) Chemist

Read 'em and eat.