• Sep7

    A new UK research study promotes “health at every size” (HAES).

    It suggests that that instead of trying to lose weight, people should try to change their lifestyle and health behaviors.  And that keeping lost weight off and maintaining a normal weight over the long term to is seldom achieved, and that researchers and clients should accept that.

    In other words, the “dietetic literature on weight management fails to meet the standards of evidence based medicine.”

    The 5000+ enrollees in the National Weight Control Registry–who have lost on average 66# and kept it off 5.5 years—would agree. Most of them did it themselves or with a coach like in Chef Clinic–not with an organized commercial program. That’s how I help people reach a healthy weight.

    HAES is
    *weight neutral
    *relies on “intuitive eating” not eating time, plate size or portion measurement
    *encourages positive body esteem and plus-size acceptance

    There is something to this. Yet a healthy body does not appear because you decide not to diet. You have to learn and practice the skills, and learn how to be healthy if you weigh more than you medically should.

    Because if you’re overweight and have erectile dysfunction, changing what you’re eating can mean a return of sexual function.

    That’s worthwhile. At every size.

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  • Aug24

    Jamie Oliver illustrating policy change in West Virginia...next stop SacramentoTomorrow I’m testifying at a Legislative Informational Hearing on Diabetes and Obesity at the California State Capitol in Sacramento on what works in practice.

    It’s not unfamiliar, but still a challenge. I did testify before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aging about the care near the end of life in the 1990s.

    Now the time seems right to be part of change about obesity and public policy.

    You can read the press release about my appearance, and sneak a quick look at my prepared statement.

    I think this will be fun, and hope you’ll find ways to advocate for change not just in school lunches (which California is leading in, within the U.S.), but also in “seat-belt-equivalents” (my term).

    Seat belts save more lives than any doctor ever will. We need something like them in obesity and diabetes prevention. What would it be?

    Here’s a 90 second viewer success story in diabetes: a viewer of my Chef MD segment on Lifetime TV followed my plan, wrote to me, I encouraged her, and she transformed her life. Gotta love how powerful Susan is.

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  • Aug17

    Several sneak peaks–including my statement to the Information Hearing on Diabetes and Obesity in Sacramento 8.25.10 are in the newsletter tomorrow (quick sign-up to get it, top right!).

    It was challenging to say something new, practical, and responsible…to decisionmakers about policy.   Let me know what you think.

    The news that the average American ingests 3366 mg sodium daily, over 2x what’s recommended is not shocking.

    Ditto that 90% of sodium comes not from the table or cooking, but from prepared foods.

    What is shocking is that dropping from 3366 to 2166mg daily could prevent 32-66000 cases of stroke, and up to 120000 cases of heart disease every year. The top 5 foods for salt by how much and how often we eat them in the U.S.?

    1.  Meat pizza
    2.  White bread
    3.  Processed cheese
    4.  Hot dogs
    5.  Spaghetti w/sauce

    Lastly,  I answer 10-20 emails weekly at ChefMD.com and on FB. But I feel as if I don’t really have the space or time to give you as complete an answer as you deserve.  And need. And for many people, the time and cost involved in traveling to Santa Barbara to see me is too much.

    Please take our Discussion Survey (not a medical consultation).  If you even might be interested, please take it…it’s a quickie, no contact info, no e-mail required.

    And if there’s enough interest in one-on-one discussions with me on weight loss, medication, cholesterol, more…we’ll do it!

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  • Aug6


    Celebrity is like royalty in the U.S. Some are going public in creating positive role models for weight loss and health. And they’re doing it with lifestyle, diet and exercise. Not drugs or fads.

    Drew Carey, according to the medical journal People, has “cured” his type 2 diabetes with weight loss of 80#. His diet is ascetic, however and probably not one for the long term: no carbs except occasional fruit.

    But hopefully, he’ll put a few carbs in the form of veggies back, and read the 4 time-tested ways to keep it off.

    John Goodman, according to the news site e-diets, has lost over 100#, is exercising 6 days/week, and is off booze/barleycorn, which is a craft brew. He wasn’t feeling well and decided to do something about it. Himself.

    And Jennifer Hudson, reportedly lost 56# by April, more since and has become a spokesperson for Weight Watchers, and its lifestyle program: she used its iphone app and a personal trainer.

    Weight Watchers is one of the most popular programs and although it was not the high scorer of our top-rated online programs, it can be a good choice.

    Keeping the weight off will be the challenge, but these three celebs can begin to vie for Top Healthy Model…a show I’d love to see Tyra do.

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  • Aug4


    Adult obesity has nearly doubled in the U.S. in 16 years. Obesity-related quality of life has been nearly cut in half (using QALYs, which Eddie Lawlor and I showed had ethical challenges but predicted the health care financing problems we’re having now).

    And following the money gives a direct answer to this obesity problem. (see right, courtesy of wisegeek.com). Candy, pasta and bread are dirt cheap; fruits, veggies and nuts are not.

    Over the past  four years, the supermarket price of the most nutrient-dense (read: most nutritious, in a good way) foods increased 29.2 percent.  Those least nutrient-dense rose by 16.1 percent. Dr Dresnowski has been on this from early on.

    In other words, healthy food– fewer calories, more nutrition– is more expensive than junk food– more calories, less nutrition. Could the right financial incentives to producers and shoppers help?

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