Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
– Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States
Two diet books in one, and both require persistence and determination
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Posted in Shameless Self-Promotion
Tagged calvin coolidge quotation
…according to an article at MedPageToday.
Band Gastric Bypass Surgery
Self-harm emergencies rose by 50% after gastric bypass surgery in the Canadians in this study.
Folks on my diets lose weight without an increase in suicide risk, as far as I know. Click on my name for the diets.
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Posted in Weight Loss
Tagged bariatric surgery, gastric bypass, self-harm, suicide
Overweight and obese women who habitually drank diet beverages lost more weight if they substituted water for the diet beverage. Over the course of 24 weeks on a reduced calorie diet, the water drinkers lost an extra 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) compared to those who continued their diet beverage habit.
Furthermore, the researchers found that the water drinkers had healthier values on insulin levels, HOMA-IR (a measure of insulin resistance), and after-meal blood sugar levels.
It was a small study with only about 30 in each experimental group. Whether similar results would be seen in men is unknown to me.
In the past, I’ve advised dieters it’s OK to drink diet drinks in moderation while trying to weight. I may have to revise my recommendations. On the other hand, if diet drinks help keep you happy and on a successful weight-loss journey, they may be helpful. The diet beverage consumers still lost 7.6 kg (16.7 lb) compared with 8.8 kg (19.4 lb) in the abstainers. But diets don’t work, right?
PS: I haven’t read the full text of the article; just the abstract.
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Posted in Weight Loss
Tagged artificial sweeteners, diet beverages, diet drinks, weight loss
The NYT’s Well Blog has some potential answers: fungus infections, poor circulation, diabetes, accumulated trauma.
I question the assertion that inadequate drying after bathing is an issue.
I like the advice not to wear the same shoes every day.
Posted in Diabetes, Uncategorized
“But selling drugs is good for the economy!”
The 60% drug use figure is up significantly over the last decade, from 50%. UPI has the pertinent details. A snippet:
Many of the most used drugs reflect the effects of metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions tied to obesity and diet.
“Eight of the 10 most commonly used drugs in 2011-2012 are used to treat components of the cardiometabolic syndrome, including hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia,” researchers wrote in the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “Another is a proton-pump inhibitor used for gastroesophageal reflux, a condition more prevalent among individuals who are overweight or obese. Thus, the increase in use of some agents may reflect the growing need for treatment of complications associated with the increase in overweight and obesity.”
I’m not anti-drug, generally. Lord knows I prescribe my fair share. But in addition to the cost of drugs, we have side effects and drug interactions to worry about. If we in the U.S. would effectively attack overweight and obesity, we’d be much better off.
It’s a lot easier to just pop a pill, isn’t it? Especially if someone else is paying for the pill.
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Posted in Overweight & Obesity
Tagged adult drug use, metabolic syndrome, prescription drug use
That excess weight can shorten your life
“The medical community seems to be under a fog that we can constantly and forever reduce death rates, and that’s simply not true,” said Professor Olshansky, who published a study in 2012 showing that life spans for white women without a high school diploma had declined, a rare event in developed countries.
“You need to look at the health status of the living,” not the mortality statistics of the dead, he said, adding that obesity is afflicting younger generations in a way that will eventually make the numbers worse.
Do something about your obesity before it’s too late.
Steve Parker, M.D.
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Posted in Longevity, Overweight & Obesity
Tagged death rates, longevity, obesity, U.S.
Click the pic to purchase at Amazon.com. E-book versions also available at Smashwords.com.
Advanced Mediterranean Diet 