Fatter and Fatter

How many times have you tried to lose weight and failed?
The average person who struggles with weight has been on many different programs and regained the weight in less than a year. Most of us are experts in finding excuses as to why we couldn’t maintain our losses. Pregnancies, children, relatives, spouses, jobs, menopause, age, you name it and it’s been used as away to fall off the diet wagon. Most of the time it’s because the diet we choose is not sustainable.

Goat milk for breakfast, yak eggs for lunch, and buffalo tartare are not very appetizing after a week or two. Of course, I’m being ridiculous, but if you check out most of the so-called plans configured to get you to lose the five pounds a week they promise, they’re usually predicated on boring regimens that end up driving you to eat five hot fudge sundaes at a sitting. The fact that the general population is getting fatter and fatter has created quite a conundrum for the medical community. Researchers in the field of weight loss are furtively seeking a solution.

Every week we are given the results of some study that speaks to the possibility of something that might be precipitating the increases in our waistlines. A virus has been implicated. I don’t know which one, but it certainly adds to my bag of excuses. I can recall a particular cold I got ten years ago that might be the culprit for some of my weight gain. Hanging out with people who are overweight seems to have some legs, albeit heavy ones. That could work for me, only my pals vary in size, so I guess I’ll have to have them weighed so I can spend more time with the heaviest one. I just won’t be able to tell her why.

Having a mate that likes to eat everything in sight is another problem, and so is how much stress you have. If you have a lot of stress and your partner overeat, you’ve won the “excuse” lotto. If the afore-mentioned doesn’t work for you, not to worry, the latest finding is that scientists have discovered “obesogens” found in plastic bottles, high fructose sugar, pizza boxes, vinyl flooring and shower curtains. So there you have it. If people are tired of your excuses, just tell them that you’ll soon be as slim as a knife because you’re not taking a shower anymore, eat pizza or walk on your kitchen floor.

Buyer Beware:If it’s too good to be true, leave it on the shelf.

Last week I read an article in the newspaper that made me strut around the house yelling “ AT LAST”!
What brought me to such a euphoric state? Well it wasn’t the discovery of a drug for woman comparable to Viagra, but rather an announcement that the FDA made that they were going to take a far more aggressive role over deceptive ad practices.
One of their first targets is the worlds’ biggest yogurt maker Dannon, who agreed to pay a $21million fine and stop making exaggerated health claims for two popular Dannon products. Marion Nestle, a New York University nutritionist stated that “The claims aren’t about health, they’re about marketing”. DUH! I’ve been ranting about how absurd the notion that a food product has been developed with so many magical health properties for years.
Activia is supposed to cure “irregularity” which is the latest problem that seems to effect a great majority of Americans. It used to be called constipation, but I guess that’s too harsh a word. When did this start and why are so many afflicted with this problem, and why do they have to buy a specific product for their situation?
Well it sells because it contains probiotics, a beneficial bacteria for the colon, but so do most yogurts. It also contains 19 grams of sugar which means it has it has over four teaspoons in a four ounce container. Aren’t we supposed to be more aware of sugar content? So now you become regular but you get diabetes? Makes sense to me.
What about beans? Lots of fiber and cheap. I just got five 15 ounce cans for 4 dollars. We all know about the power of the bean, yet there are no cutesy commercials touting their benefits with a movie star as a spokesperson sharing the great outcome they got from eating beans. There’s not even an animated bean dressed in spandex jeans circling around a group of constipated adults sharing the latest research on beans and their benefits.
Do you think lifestyle might have an impact on irregularity, like lack of exercise, very little sleep and too much stress? When you’re stressed out your intestines suffer big time. It’s hard to get anything to pass through.
Aside from the above, the most important message we should take away from the latest food fiasco is “buyer beware”. If it’s too good to be true, leave it on the shelf.

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