I wrote a recent post that in part discussed my struggle with weight. There are a few related issues that are topical from a political perspective: (1) victim or personal responsibility; (2) health care implications.
First, I personally realize that life isn't fair. People can be cruel and judgmental. Some people (e.g., Jerry Lewis back in 2002) can gain weight as a side effect from medication they are taking; others may have a medical condition, such as hypothyroidism. But we also have to be honest and say in most cases it has to do with an inadequate diet and exercise regimen. In my case, I've done a lot of business travel and long commutes over the past 12 years, and I didn't keep up my fitness center workouts every other day. Still, it is my responsibility to make the time to exercise. What I can tell you is I prepare most of my meals (when I'm not traveling), and you won't find pastries, snack foods, or frozen desserts on my grocery slips or in my apartment. I've been on a plateau for the last couple of weeks, which every dieter faces and is frustrating when he is carefully watching his diet.
Are obese people "victims"? There's no doubt certain people can be insensitive. However, I think we have to take responsibility for our own health, and obesity is a contributing factor to serious diseases and premature mortality. I think we can choose to not sweat the small stuff (insensitive comments and the like); nobody I really respect ever engages in petty behavior. What we need to do is to model for other people how we ourselves would like to be treated, and it all starts with a positive self-image and showing patience and persistence. Most of us, including celebrity host Oprah Winfrey, have had setbacks; in her case, millions of people are aware of it.
Second, we have to understand that obesity is an issue that needs to be addressed from the get-go, or it can result in catastrophic costs in financial and quality of life terms. The primary issues I have with the Republican plans to date is the guaranteed-issue problem and preexisting conditions; typically we see the solution being risk pools. In some states (e.g., Florida), risk pools are or have been closed to new patients, and in many cases, patients can be required to wait 6 months or a year for relevant conditions if they have not been covered by another plan in the recent past. The typical justification for this is that if you let too many high-cost patients into the system, the costs are passed along to other policyholders, and healthier people may elect to drop out of the system. It is important that we conservatives address this issue head on, e.g., with a cost-plus arrangement subsidized by the government where the payback for preventive care is seen in terms of long-term cost savings.
Lower-Carb Diet
I got introduced to the Atkins Diet by a lead project DBA I succeeded in the Chicago area in 2002. He mentioned how he had lost a lot of weight on it, how you could eat all the meat you wanted to--say, even a pound steak. (He mentioned that after once or twice after trying it, the novelty wore off and he naturally cut back.) He never got hungry and lost weight like clockwork. I didn't get started then, but when I was scheduled to fly to an interview in Baltimore the following year, I found I no longer fit in my old suit and had to buy a new suit. At that point, I had some basic knowledge about a balanced diet and the conventional low-fat diet, but I decided to research low-carb diets in earnest. I had a family function to attend the following year and by that time I had lost some 90 pounds, almost effortlessly--2 or 3 pounds a week.
I will not provide an in-depth description of the Atkins Diet or the similar (Agatston) South Beach Diet, but carbohydrate grams are sharply limited during an induction period of 2 weeks or so, say 20 grams or less daily. Agatston has higher tolerance of complex carbs and more restrictions on fatty cuts of meat and milk products. The following overview is a broad summary, and you should consult the original texts for more detailed, nuanced instructions. Both diets prohibit the "white foods"--potatoes, flour, rice, and sugar. Vegetables center on lower-carb varieties (e.g., spinach, broccoli, green beans and cauliflower); certain legumes (black beans); a limited amount of butter/cream/cheese; limited portions of seeds or nuts like almonds and macadamia nuts; and various meats, fish and eggs. A distinctive snack is G.H.W. Bush's favorite, pork rinds. Fruits should be limited to low-sugar varieties (e.g., berries and rhubarb); fruit juices are prohibited.
Fiber is not contained in milk products, eggs, or meat; hence, many low-carb dieters will take fiber supplements. The terms low-carb, low-sugar, and low-glycemic are conceptually similar. Table sugar/glucose and other simple sugars (e.g., fruit juice) tend to be processed very quickly in the blood stream and require a quick spike in insulin to drive nutrients to cells. A low-carb diet seeks to minimize spikes in blood sugar and hence the diet tends to be largely consistent with approaches for diabetics. (If any diagnosed diabetic is reading this, please check with your doctor or nutritionist for specific guidance.) Note that glycemic load/index approaches can be viewed on a sequencing/combination basis, not an absolute basis like the low-carb approach; for example, eating a potato first would result in a blood sugar/insulin spike; eating potato after a certain amount of meat is consumed will not result in a commensurate spike.
I was somewhat surprised when my current doctor and I discussed diet at a recent appointment; I think I had previously mentioned having a lower-carb approach. The general perception I had was that most doctors are still following the dominant low-fat/high-carb paradigm. Instead, I found my doctor specifically warning me not to eat fruits.
My own diet tends to be a more liberal South Beach-like approach with some distinctive points: I try to rotate in limited portions of foods with soluble fiber (e.g., beans), skim milk/fat-free or low-fat cheese, whole grain breads/tortillas, and Omega-3 or grass-fed meat.
Sample Sam's Club Actual Purchases
Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds (38 oz.)
fresh broccoli florets (3 lbs) (great with guacamole or Litehouse jalapeno ranch dip)
fresh blueberries, blackberries, strawberries
2-18 count carton eggs
Mac Farms Macadamia Nuts (21 oz.)
Members Mark Premium Nut Mix (raw & unsalted) 2 lbs.
10-can Healthy Choice / 8-can Progresso Light soups
16-count Arnold Select Multi-Grain Sandwich Thins
160-count Bigelow Green Tea Bags
Tyson Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (6 lbs.)
fresh hamburger 90/10% fat (variable-weight)
Morey's Wild Alaskan Salmon/frozen foods (6 fillets)
Pace Chunky Salsa Medium (4 lbs.)
La Costena Nacho Jalapeno Slices (4 lbs.) (great in omelettes and salads)
Sweet N Low (1500 packets)
EAS 100% Whey Protein Vanilla (5 lbs.)
[In the past I've seen them offer multi-pound sacks of black beans and whole-wheat spaghetti and large packages of low-carb tortillas.]
NOT Recommended: I do not like gimmick foods like low-carb shakes and nutrition bars as meal replacements. For some reason, I have bad luck with their bagged salads keeping.
Personally Used/Recommended Brands *
Dreamfields Pasta (low net-carb pasta)
La Tortilla Factory (low-carb, high-fiber tortillas)
Wild Planet Tuna (albacore, low-mercury, high Omega-3)
Food for Life Breads
Steviva 1 kilo bulk stevioside (stevia/no-carb sweetener)
Nutrition Products Website *
Netrition (discounted low-carb / low flat-rate)
* No Financial Interest
