glory, Was I cheating death when I switched from low fat to low carb and lost 40 pounds? Was I cheating death when my cholesterol plummeted from 318 to 221? Was I cheating death when my triglycerides fell from 495 on my low fat diet to 66 on low carb? Was I cheating death when my hypoglycemia and low level depression was instantly cured? Was I cheating death when my body fat fell from 43% to 19.6%?
It might be a big joke to you, but an unhealthy diet and lifestyle DOES cause death and noone serious would claim otherwise. It is the LEADING cause of coronary heart disease in this country and has caused an epidemic of obesity and diabetes II in this country.
You sound like someone who is probably on a bad diet who is trying to justify or minimize the ill effects of such a diet.
I am an avid walker and skier and cyclist... I am only moderately overweight, and believe me, an extra twenty pounds is very noticeable to your feet, knees, legs, etc. (and painful, too) when you're on the slopes, on the seat of a bike, or just taking a two-mile beach walk in the sand.
I'm sticking with my own variation of the Atkins diet - which is a combination of the Atkins Diet and the Paleo or NeanderThin diet (for me, that means basically beef or game meat, and green vegetables and some berries, and keeping up with as much exercise as I can handle.) I just started, I have a few pounds/inches yet to lose... but I can honestly say I feel great. I have no hunger problems and no food cravings.