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A weight acceptance site I've been meaning to share with you all.
Big Liberty is a great blog I discovered this winter. It is a thorough, organized place promoting weight acceptance, although the author herself seems to prefer the term fat acceptance.
For those new to this site, I recommend starting at this link:
http://bigliberty.net/truth-behind-fat-links-science/
It's a collection of articles that go right for the anti-acceptance jugular. Most of them contradict the biggest myths and misconceptions about obesity still popular in mainstream media. These links really changed my perspective about this topic.
Big Liberty is by no means the only website trying to raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by overweight patients, especially with regard to health and combating prejudice, but it's my favorite of the WA/FA sites I've looked at.
The author is...blunt. And funny. She has a distinctive style, and is truly passionate about the cause. The site also links to many others in the FA movement.
I confess, I have not always been very compassionate toward the overweight or obese. Educating myself about both obesity and weight prejudice has become a self-improvement project for me. Finding the Big Liberty site provided me with a lot of new information about weight, health and why eliminating size-based bigotry and discrimination is of vital importance. (Many of the entires on Big Liberty made me cry; this society is absolutely cruel toward overweight people, especially those who are women.)
I'm not sure whether or not the author would consider herself a feminist. I've read almost all the entries and can't recall if she ever chose to self-identify that way.* But I think weight acceptance should be a part of the feminist movement, because of the disproportionate amount of weight bigotry directed at women, as evidenced by the fact that the bulk of all weight loss products, dieting strategies and medical treatments for obesity are targeting female consumers.
*The author does identify as a libertarian and an anarchist. Note to moderators and alerters: my post here is in no way an attempt to support the libertarians, any non-Democratic candidates for office, or anarchy.
42 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Let's take me as a for instance.
I look in the mirror these days and see my dad. It gives me quite a start some mornings. (My mum was tiny in her youth, and has also been overweight since having kids, but she is a completely different body type and I have none of the characteristics or medical conditions of her side of the family. I'm also not blonde and blue-eyed ...)
My paternal grandfather died at age 65 (in the 1950s) of a coronary artery blockage. My dad died a few years ago (at 73) of a coronary artery blockage -- quadruple, almost complete. But we only know this from the post mortem; his condition was asymptomatic and undiagnosed (he was bicycling 10 miles a day until not long before he died, having taken the need to control his weight and hypertension seriously), and it was only when he was dying of metastasized melanoma that his heart began to cause trouble. On getting the results of the post mortem (which was done because no one had told us what was really happening and his death wasn't consistent with the cancer), the coroner called my mum immediately and said we kids must get the appropriate tests and start being monitored. Totally hereditary.
My paternal grandfather's father and grandfather and great-grandfather (born in the 1790s) lived to quite ripe old ages. However, his mother, my great-grandmother, died at the age of 48. My grandmother told me I looked like my grandfather's mother; I think the word she used was "stout".
(edit - I'd meant to add that my father's brother looked just like him and their dad, and had a disabling stroke at age 45. Two of his kids are mirror images of me and my chubby brother, although their mum was slight. The hereditary aspects are really just undeniable. My sister, on the other hand, is my mum: it's all in the bum.
)
About 5 years ago I switched community clinics for my primary health care from the one I'd gone to for 30 years, with the annoying and increasingly adolescent doctors, to the one where my partner and best friend went, and their doctor there, our age, whom I knew already. During initial consults, involving family histories, I was telling her about my dad, and I saw her eyeing my "waist". Yeah, I said: Syndrome X. I am an apple (as compared to a pear): small bust, small hips and bum (all things being relative), big waist/belly fat, the bad kind of fat. And I have the attendant "syndrome": high bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol, hypertension, tendency to high blood sugar.
I don't overeat particularly. I haven't had a fast-food hamburger in ... well drat, we did have Harvey's burger-and-fries take-out about a month ago. Before that, it had been, oh, at least three years. We order pizza every couple of months. Other than that, I make all our food from scratch, and I wouldn't know how to deep-fry something to save my life. No doughnuts, no bacon ... . Stews, chili, Chinese and Indian dishes, pastas, heavy on veg and whole grains and legumes. I have to admit we have a weakness for having a chocolate bar or ice cream for desert, and potato chips fairly regularly (as part of supper, so they go with things like chicken caesar salad in super low-carb whole-grain pita sandwiches).
But still, this is nothing like the typical diet of the obese, let alone morbidly obese. My partner has Type I diabetes (he is the Jack Sprat in the household - 6'4 and so thin that his mother constantly asked me whether he was unwell), so I carb-count religiously. I don't drink pop, we don't keep "snack foods" in the house, we don't buy prepared meals, which are almost all high-fat / high-carb / high-salt (certainly as compared to what I cook). My weakness is that I am perfectly happy eating nothing all day until our late supper, and I know that's crap, so I am trying to continue my bone-healing diet from the last 10 weeks of immobility from the broken leg, and eat at least fruit during the day. Lots of cottage cheese dips, and I've decided he can eat tofu and like it or lump it, because I like it.
What don't I do? Exercise. At all. Except that I have an exercise equipment thingy I bought some years ago because it looked like fun and then left mouldering in a corner, which is now in the living room because it's the perfect thing for strengthening my bum leg and foot (sort of like rowing machines, only you sit on a saddle and pull/push yourself from sitting to standing, pumping like on one of those kids' roundabouts in the playgrounds of my youth). And I'm going to stick with it. I vow.
Because yes, it is healtheir to be both less overweight and more active, and at some point it does become do or die.
And you know what I blame in large part for my inertia? School. Phys ed in school was (team) sports-oriented and competitive. For the kid who was always picked last when picking was done, that was nothing short of hell. I just fucking hated team sports to start with; basically I hate sports of any kind (except maybe water stuff, and I just can't really afford an indoor swimming pool). Just boring and pointless. When I was a kid, I wanted to spend the summer reading in the cool basement, not running around pointlessly with other kids I had nothing in common with. I learned nothing in phys ed, no skills or attitudes or practices, that equipped me for being active in later life.
A few years ago I decided to take up water aerobics. I thought it would be fun, and it was. I stuck with it for two years. Taking time out three times a week to get to the Y, change, do the class, shower and dry (February where I live is no time to be going outside with long wet hair, and no, you can't put me in a bathing cap for a million bucks) just wasn't realistic. And I was still spending that time in a crowd of people I found boring and annoying. One day the gung-ho instructor decided to have us warm up by "playing" some kind of ball-throwing "game". We basically all stood around in a circle and stared at the ball. I finally said: You need to realize that the reason all us middle-aged women are here is that we are the ones who despised team sports in gym class! That was our last ball-throwing session. So eventually I dropped out, mainly for lack of time, or at least the interest in organizing my time to manage it, not to mention the cost involved. And now I'm sedentary.
If I had been allowed to spend gym class just running around the track by myself for all those years, instead of being forced to "participate" in crap I hated with people I didn't care about, I might not be in this fix. I'd have acquired the habit, maybe, and at least have been fitter at the end of school. Well, actually, over the last three years of high school and my first year of university, I slimmed down a lot, just kind of unconsciously. To the point that, looking back on it, I might have been flirting with anorexia toward the end of that phase: I was focused on eating half of this and half of that, putting my Levis on without unzipping them (the men's size I'd still had to take up a couple of inches in the bum, in the size that fit my waist), etc. At 5'6 I weighed just under 120 lbs, and while that isn't what today's standards would call too thin, it was absolutely thin enough (exactly "normal" per BMI tables -- currently I'm significantly "overweight" but not "obese"
. Then came the pot and the pill, and the long steady upward climb.
About 5 years ago I did lose about 30 pounds on my partner's sudden super-low-carb crash diet to get his blood sugar under control, and haven't put most of it back on, but since he is back to eating like a pig, it's a little hard to deprive myself to that extent! But that really does make it obvious what the problem and solution are, if I'm not going to take up running marathons. Eat less and/or exercise more. Yeah, it's that simple.
Our ancestors consumed all those carbs -- and they did consume fats, whether as meat (mind you, mine being English, there was a fair bit of fish involved, and unfortunately for me, fish makes me puke) or cheese (when my mum wants to lower her cholesterol, she just cuts out cheese) -- and worked them off every day. We keep eating the same way and sitting on it.
So am I to blame? Well, I'm afraid that I'll take only partial blame here. Yeah, I'm to blame for not balancing the energy intake/output better. But I have to overcome a quite serious and real genetic tendency -- somebody else my weight with a different distribution would be both less at risk for health problems and more "buxom" than fat -- and the handicaps of lifestyle that I'm not entirely responsible for the origins of.
As far as "acceptance" and all that -- for me, it's much like every other aspect of life. I don't give a crap what anybody else thinks. I certainly did not feel any less insecure when I was young, or any more successful, when I was skinny than when I wasn't. My self-image and self-worth are derived internally. And you know, I think that's a whole lot of the issue.
Fat people really can be just as happy and successful as thin people. They are just as capable, just as intelligent, just as able to acquire and use their skills.
Just as women are just as capable, just as intelligent, and just as able to acquire and use their skills as men are. If they would just stop focusing on the standards imposed on them from the outside - for women, not just of appearance but also of behaviour - and pay attention to who they are and what they want, they'd be a hell of a lot happier.
If someone doesn't like or respect or want me because of some aspect of who I am, I wouldn't even say "it's their loss", because I really just don't give a shit. I'm no more interested in them than they are in me. The things about me that might need changing (be it my physical condition or my horrible procrastination) need changing for me, not for somebody else.
Does that address the discrimination aspect? Well no, admittedly. But it's another chicken and egg thing. Nobody's going to overcome discriminatin by saying "stop". We, individually, can't alter other people's behaviour other than by proving them wrong. And working to succeed on our own terms, for our own benefit, is the best way I see of doing that.
Since I'm replying to the particular post that prompted my thoughts, I just want to add how awful it is that your health is another casualty of the USAmerican political culture. I'm in Canada; here, I'd get you enrolled at my community clinic -- a multi-service community health centre -- and you'd get whatever medical treatment and social supports and relevant referrals you needed, at a total cost of zero (same if you went to a private physician, but yours is exactly the kind of situation where a CHC's interdisciplinary approach could be most helpful). And if you were able to get your health back, you'd be able to work and contribute in other ways to society, and you'd be happier and society would be the better for it. Anyone who can't see that, or argues against the political choices that make it possible, is a moron and not a nice person.
...and again I say NO added oils of ANY KIND, not even a teaspoon of olive oil a day, no dairy, no meat, no fish, no eggs, NONE, EVER, and stays fat, I'd really like to meet them.
Less than one percent of the population is willing to make those "terrible sacrifices," and try "living without their meat" or "their butter" or "their sour cream" or their WTF-ever and experience what happens upon doing so.
However, greater than 97% of the people who try calorie and portion-controlled "diet" after calorie and portion-controlled "diet" will end up feeling deprived and fail because they're simply eating too little of the same crap food, maybe with minor modifications which really amount to jack-all, and aren't achieving a feeling of satiety or fullness from a meal.
In other words, you're going to feel a helluva lot healthier and full and comforted after eating two quarts of split pea and potato soup, two oranges and a banana in one day than you are eating a single "super-sized" huge fast food burger meal. You will get the same amount of calories (and possibly less), but only the scantest fraction of the fat content, and your body will burn through the split pea soup and fruit like a furnace, WITHOUT all that fat from the burger and fries screwing up your body's ability to process insulin which is what in fact REALLY makes you diabetic!
Far better to go with the sure < 1% minority than gamble on being in the < 3% one every day of the week.
And I swear I'm not trying to be mean or nasty or give anyone any shit here. I'm only trying to help. 
--with fruit and potatoes. I don't eat bananas per doctor's orders. 
You are recommending death to people with insulin resistance, and I don't appreciate it.
http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/050308starlogan.html
[quote]The doctor gave me a diet to follow. Much of what I loved I could no longer eat. My love for food dwindled away, and I fell into a deep depression. Then, he prescribed for me a course of diabetic drugs, called Diabex (metformin, like Glucophage), twice daily. I asked him what the possible side effects could be. He said I could become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and that was the worst I could expect.
Over the next few weeks I began the new diet and the exercise plan – and during this time, I watched my weight steadily rise. The depression grew worse – I was eating like a sparrow, I was hungry most of the time, I was doing a workout that I had no desire to do. I saw nothing but misery for the rest of my years. Was this regime worth continuing or should I just go back to my former way of life, and let the diabetes run its course? The thought of my wife and three kids kept me doing what I inherently knew was wrong.
About a month later I developed fever, chills, and before long I felt like I just wanted to die. After a night of suffering, I concluded this might have been lactic acidosis, a serious side effect from the Diabex. Obviously, my present approach was not curing me and I was risking my life with the medication. I decided then that I had to find a cure at all costs. I had to do this for my family. So I began to search.
One kind co-worker sent me an e-mail with a link to Dr. McDougall's presentation on the "Hazards of Dairy" from the Vegsource 2003 conference. I was so impressed with what he had to say that I started reading his website. Here I found detailed information on how to get myself out of trouble.
My wife joined in with me. At first, her commitment wasn't 100% to the plan, even though it was when I was around. Her mindset was "well, it's not me that's sick - all my levels are normal, so the odd donut or ice-cream won't hurt me...will it?" The coworker who sent me the link also decided to start the plan. It wasn't what we would call 100% McDougall, but it was all vegan food, with the decision that meat would only be consumed in circumstances beyond his control (like a neighbor's barbecue, etc.). But for me, it was 100%. I stopped the medications and began this very different diet I call "McDougalling," on December 1, 2004.
Six weeks after starting the McDougall regime, I went back to the doctor. I was seriously dreading this next visit. I wanted to believe more than anything that Dr. McDougall was right. But what if my body didn't respond? And what if giving up the medication had done me more harm than good? He looked at the results and with his eyes nearly popping out of his head he turned to me and said "Congratulations." He then shook my hand and said words I will never forget, "There is now no longer any need for medical intervention. You have really looked after yourself." I tried to tell him what I did but he didn't seem interested. He was happy I was off the medication, and as far as he was concerned, he was the reason for my success.
My sugar levels at first reading were 340 mg/dl, and today (March 7, 2005) they are 85 mg/dl. Additionally, my cholesterol was 262 mg/dl, and now it is 89 mg/dl. My triglycerides went from 518 mg /dl to 82 mg/dl. My weight has dropped from 242 pounds at my highest to 185 pounds today, and I am still slowly dropping. Now there are no medications interfering with my life. I look good and I feel good. Many people around me are also following the plan, and even those who aren't following it strictly have benefited. One lady at my work stopped me in a corridor and asked "what is it you guys are doing in there? You all look so great!" I told her, "We're REAL MEN who eat NO MEAT (or dairy etc.). And it's a far better place to be."[/quote]
http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/jason_wyrick.html
[quote]When I was in my teens, I was a thin kid, in good health, and very active. I am still amazed that, ten years later, I found myself in a hospital in Austin, Texas, well over a hundred pounds overweight, being treated for an infection, and being told I was diabetic. I was more than scared when I found out, I was ashamed. I was under 30, diabetic, and looking at the prospect of having to take medication for the rest of my life. More than ashamed, I was desperate. I know how I caught the disease. Diabetes was in my family for at least two generations before me and now it looked like it had hit a third. My maternal grandmother was diabetic, both of my parents are diabetic, and my middle brother had many of the symptoms of the disease. I'm fairly certain I had it at least two years before I was diagnosed with it. I was overweight, unnaturally tired, prone to energy spikes and sudden crashes, my intellect was slowing down, and my eyesight was going terribly. That, perhaps, was the most visible (pun intended) symptom, having gone from 20/15 vision down to at least 20/30. Since a number of my family members wore glasses, I just thought I was now going down the same road. I never associated these health issues with diabetes because I simply didn't know any better. The highest blood sugar I can remember was 290 mg/dl. In hindsight, it may have been a good thing that I was in the hospital being treated for an infection (another symptom of diabetes) because, had I not been diagnosed with it then, the damage to my body would have been far worse.
Family history wasn't the only reason, though, and it turns out it wasn't the main one. It was what I was eating.
I was already on my way to becoming overweight in my late teens. By the time I was in my early 20's, I had a bulge for a stomach, although it wasn't too bad. After I became vegetarian, though, is when I really started to see my health deteriorate. What? I got unhealthier after I became vegetarian?! That's right. It's because I did one of the most foolish things a new vegetarian can do. I replaced most of the meat I was eating with heavily processed foods and cheese—along with a minimum amount of exercise. It wasn't uncommon for me to take a can of vegetarian refried beans (with vegetable oil), a small block of cheese, and a tiny bottle of Cholula hot sauce and have that for lunch. Pastas were my new friends, soy-based meat substitutes my pals, and any cheese I could get my hands on was a constant companion. Moderation? I rarely talked moderation anymore nor did I want to have much to do with anything low in fat. Of course, pasta and cheese had to introduce me to a couple of their other friends and I soon came to know morbid obesity and diabetes very well.
That is, in short, how I found myself in that hospital in Austin confronted by one of the most trying situations I had confronted in my life. The next step, after getting over the shock, was to figure out what to do about it. Fortunately, I had a friend who gave me the little bit of help I desperately needed. It turns out she had been through the exact same thing. We had both become vegetarian together and we both made the same mistakes together. She had become overweight as well. The difference between our situations was that she was diagnosed with the disease about one year before I was (you would think I would have picked up that I had it, as well, at that point). Having been told that she would have to take medication the rest of her life—she chose, instead, to treat the problem through diet and exercise. She fastidiously did research at the library and across the Internet. That was how she came across the McDougall diet. After picking up several of Dr. McDougall's books, she put herself on a low-fat, vegan diet.
Within just two months, most of her diabetic symptoms were gone and not long after that, she managed to cure her diabetes. Having seen her do that, I chose to do the same. It was a difficult journey for me. Giving up eating meat was much easier. One day I was a meat-eater and the next day I was a vegetarian. Not so for being vegan. I was what I call a "cheating vegan" for about a year—I sometimes didn't look at labels so that I wouldn't have to know if I was eating dairy products. The all-you-can-eat enchiladas served at a local Mexican restaurant were my downfall. Despite these obstacles, I still managed to drop a significant amount of weight and I, too, saw the symptoms of my diabetes begin to dissipate.
I cut down on the pastas almost entirely, stopped drinking sodas, and tried to concentrate on preparing my own meals with fruits and vegetables that looked appetizing to me, flavoring them with rich sauces that didn't rely on fats and spices that made the meals spring to life. I began to explore various ethnic cuisines to see how they prepared their vegan meals. After almost a year, I finally got rid of the enchiladas and fastidiously checked labels.
Even as a "cheating vegan," I still lost a substantial amount of weight, got rid of my diabetic symptoms, and saw a tremendous increase in energy. This became even more pronounced when I got rid of dairy entirely. Since then, I have lost over one hundred pounds, cured my diabetes, regained my eyesight (it's even improved to 20/13), achieved the ability to think quickly again, and I'm in better shape than when I was an athlete in high school. In fact, with just two months of training a couple times a week, I was able to hike the Grand Canyon from the North to the South Rim. My blood sugar is now 89 mg/dl. Being vegan (cutting out eggs, dairy, etc.) is absolutely one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.[/quote]
http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/scott_raphael.html
[quote]I woke up in the ICU unit of the hospital recovering from diabetic ketoacidosis—a commonly fatal complication of untreated diabetes. The hospital lab had registered my glucose level at 1130 mg/dL—ten times the normal level. After two days in ICU, I was transported to the "diabetic ward" where I was shown how to inject myself two to four times a day with insulin in my belly and my thighs. I was sent from there to diabetic classes where I was told that I was eating correctly but needed to cut my portions in half.
When my brother found out how sick I was, he sent me a book called "The McDougall Plan." I read a few chapters, and continued following the meal program the diabetic center dietitians had taught me. No matter how hard I tried my glucose levels would not stabilize. The dietitians' recommendation: just increase my dosage of insulin and maybe try oral diabetic medication. Unfortunately, the new pills, Glucophage, created unbelievable bowel distress. I started to think, that maybe eating beans, fruits and vegetables wouldn't be so hard to do—I got down "The McDougall Plan" again and read it cover to cover—all I wanted to do was to be well. However, putting into practice what I read was not all that easy.
Finally, in January of 2006, my wife and I took what we like to call "our most important vacation ever"—we joined John and Mary for their 10 day program in Santa Rosa, California. I learned more in those 10 days than I had learned in all my previous years of natural health education. We started the program with an exam from Dr. McDougall, where he addressed my health issues. Every morning, Mary McDougall was there to take my blood pressure, weigh me, and check how I was doing. The lectures were insightful and very pertinent to my getting well. Subjects included protein, calcium, diabetes, high blood pressure, how to use the Internet, reading labels and finding hidden fat. I thought that it would be hard to cook delicious meals, but we were given excellent recipes in our cooking class. The delicious food at the program was served buffet style and I had no limitation on how much I could eat—what a change! Exercise became a joy, not drudgery. What I learned most from the program was that all the misinformation given to us by our trusted doctors and dietitians was really making us very sick. I should have figured this out on my own by the way I had continued to look and feel while following their advice.
Before adopting The McDougall Program, my weight averaged 290 to 295 pounds, my blood pressure was in the area of 195/110 mmHg and my glucose levels were in the range of 300 to 400 mg/dL.
Now my blood pressure is down to 110/80 mmHg and my glucose levels average about 120 to 130 Mg/dL, and I am off insulin and pills. I am down to 190 pounds, a total weight loss of about 100 pounds in 9 months, and I have lost 13 inches off my waist. I am a new person—my level of confidence and self esteem are at a heightened level that I had not felt in decades. I have changed so much that people who have not seen me in a while have to look twice to make sure it's me.
Finally, I want to add that the McDougall Program (even though I did not follow it for many years) was the major force that caused me to return to school and to get my degree in natural health. After seven years of study I am now a Doctor of Naturopathy and practice in and around the Orange County/ Los Angeles area. I give lectures on the benefits of a low fat vegan lifestyle—and now, because of all the weight I have lost and my radiant energy, I am viewed by the audiences I speak to and my patients with far more credibility.[/quote]
My work here is done. I won't be replying to you any more. Have I mentioned that I've lost over 200 lbs. and have probably saved a badly infected and ulcerated leg doing this? You know, I wish I had labs proving that my blood sugars have dropped massively from the untreated 400 or higher from the time of my diagnosis until now, but being uninsured and broke I can only surmise that those numbers are much better based on how I feel.
Anyway, good luck to you.
[quote]The doctor gave me a diet to follow. Much of what I loved I could no longer eat. My love for food dwindled away, and I fell into a deep depression. Then, he prescribed for me a course of diabetic drugs, called Diabex (metformin, like Glucophage), twice daily. I asked him what the possible side effects could be. He said I could become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and that was the worst I could expect.
Over the next few weeks I began the new diet and the exercise plan – and during this time, I watched my weight steadily rise. The depression grew worse – I was eating like a sparrow, I was hungry most of the time, I was doing a workout that I had no desire to do. I saw nothing but misery for the rest of my years. Was this regime worth continuing or should I just go back to my former way of life, and let the diabetes run its course? The thought of my wife and three kids kept me doing what I inherently knew was wrong.
About a month later I developed fever, chills, and before long I felt like I just wanted to die. After a night of suffering, I concluded this might have been lactic acidosis, a serious side effect from the Diabex. Obviously, my present approach was not curing me and I was risking my life with the medication. I decided then that I had to find a cure at all costs. I had to do this for my family. So I began to search.
One kind co-worker sent me an e-mail with a link to Dr. McDougall's presentation on the "Hazards of Dairy" from the Vegsource 2003 conference. I was so impressed with what he had to say that I started reading his website. Here I found detailed information on how to get myself out of trouble.
My wife joined in with me. At first, her commitment wasn't 100% to the plan, even though it was when I was around. Her mindset was "well, it's not me that's sick - all my levels are normal, so the odd donut or ice-cream won't hurt me...will it?" The coworker who sent me the link also decided to start the plan. It wasn't what we would call 100% McDougall, but it was all vegan food, with the decision that meat would only be consumed in circumstances beyond his control (like a neighbor's barbecue, etc.). But for me, it was 100%. I stopped the medications and began this very different diet I call "McDougalling," on December 1, 2004.
Six weeks after starting the McDougall regime, I went back to the doctor. I was seriously dreading this next visit. I wanted to believe more than anything that Dr. McDougall was right. But what if my body didn't respond? And what if giving up the medication had done me more harm than good? He looked at the results and with his eyes nearly popping out of his head he turned to me and said "Congratulations." He then shook my hand and said words I will never forget, "There is now no longer any need for medical intervention. You have really looked after yourself." I tried to tell him what I did but he didn't seem interested. He was happy I was off the medication, and as far as he was concerned, he was the reason for my success.
My sugar levels at first reading were 340 mg/dl, and today (March 7, 2005) they are 85 mg/dl. Additionally, my cholesterol was 262 mg/dl, and now it is 89 mg/dl. My triglycerides went from 518 mg /dl to 82 mg/dl. My weight has dropped from 242 pounds at my highest to 185 pounds today, and I am still slowly dropping. Now there are no medications interfering with my life. I look good and I feel good. Many people around me are also following the plan, and even those who aren't following it strictly have benefited. One lady at my work stopped me in a corridor and asked "what is it you guys are doing in there? You all look so great!" I told her, "We're REAL MEN who eat NO MEAT (or dairy etc.). And it's a far better place to be."[/quote]
http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/jason_wyrick.html
[quote]When I was in my teens, I was a thin kid, in good health, and very active. I am still amazed that, ten years later, I found myself in a hospital in Austin, Texas, well over a hundred pounds overweight, being treated for an infection, and being told I was diabetic. I was more than scared when I found out, I was ashamed. I was under 30, diabetic, and looking at the prospect of having to take medication for the rest of my life. More than ashamed, I was desperate. I know how I caught the disease. Diabetes was in my family for at least two generations before me and now it looked like it had hit a third. My maternal grandmother was diabetic, both of my parents are diabetic, and my middle brother had many of the symptoms of the disease. I'm fairly certain I had it at least two years before I was diagnosed with it. I was overweight, unnaturally tired, prone to energy spikes and sudden crashes, my intellect was slowing down, and my eyesight was going terribly. That, perhaps, was the most visible (pun intended) symptom, having gone from 20/15 vision down to at least 20/30. Since a number of my family members wore glasses, I just thought I was now going down the same road. I never associated these health issues with diabetes because I simply didn't know any better. The highest blood sugar I can remember was 290 mg/dl. In hindsight, it may have been a good thing that I was in the hospital being treated for an infection (another symptom of diabetes) because, had I not been diagnosed with it then, the damage to my body would have been far worse.
Family history wasn't the only reason, though, and it turns out it wasn't the main one. It was what I was eating.
I was already on my way to becoming overweight in my late teens. By the time I was in my early 20's, I had a bulge for a stomach, although it wasn't too bad. After I became vegetarian, though, is when I really started to see my health deteriorate. What? I got unhealthier after I became vegetarian?! That's right. It's because I did one of the most foolish things a new vegetarian can do. I replaced most of the meat I was eating with heavily processed foods and cheese—along with a minimum amount of exercise. It wasn't uncommon for me to take a can of vegetarian refried beans (with vegetable oil), a small block of cheese, and a tiny bottle of Cholula hot sauce and have that for lunch. Pastas were my new friends, soy-based meat substitutes my pals, and any cheese I could get my hands on was a constant companion. Moderation? I rarely talked moderation anymore nor did I want to have much to do with anything low in fat. Of course, pasta and cheese had to introduce me to a couple of their other friends and I soon came to know morbid obesity and diabetes very well.
That is, in short, how I found myself in that hospital in Austin confronted by one of the most trying situations I had confronted in my life. The next step, after getting over the shock, was to figure out what to do about it. Fortunately, I had a friend who gave me the little bit of help I desperately needed. It turns out she had been through the exact same thing. We had both become vegetarian together and we both made the same mistakes together. She had become overweight as well. The difference between our situations was that she was diagnosed with the disease about one year before I was (you would think I would have picked up that I had it, as well, at that point). Having been told that she would have to take medication the rest of her life—she chose, instead, to treat the problem through diet and exercise. She fastidiously did research at the library and across the Internet. That was how she came across the McDougall diet. After picking up several of Dr. McDougall's books, she put herself on a low-fat, vegan diet.
Within just two months, most of her diabetic symptoms were gone and not long after that, she managed to cure her diabetes. Having seen her do that, I chose to do the same. It was a difficult journey for me. Giving up eating meat was much easier. One day I was a meat-eater and the next day I was a vegetarian. Not so for being vegan. I was what I call a "cheating vegan" for about a year—I sometimes didn't look at labels so that I wouldn't have to know if I was eating dairy products. The all-you-can-eat enchiladas served at a local Mexican restaurant were my downfall. Despite these obstacles, I still managed to drop a significant amount of weight and I, too, saw the symptoms of my diabetes begin to dissipate.
I cut down on the pastas almost entirely, stopped drinking sodas, and tried to concentrate on preparing my own meals with fruits and vegetables that looked appetizing to me, flavoring them with rich sauces that didn't rely on fats and spices that made the meals spring to life. I began to explore various ethnic cuisines to see how they prepared their vegan meals. After almost a year, I finally got rid of the enchiladas and fastidiously checked labels.
Even as a "cheating vegan," I still lost a substantial amount of weight, got rid of my diabetic symptoms, and saw a tremendous increase in energy. This became even more pronounced when I got rid of dairy entirely. Since then, I have lost over one hundred pounds, cured my diabetes, regained my eyesight (it's even improved to 20/13), achieved the ability to think quickly again, and I'm in better shape than when I was an athlete in high school. In fact, with just two months of training a couple times a week, I was able to hike the Grand Canyon from the North to the South Rim. My blood sugar is now 89 mg/dl. Being vegan (cutting out eggs, dairy, etc.) is absolutely one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.[/quote]
http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/scott_raphael.html
[quote]I woke up in the ICU unit of the hospital recovering from diabetic ketoacidosis—a commonly fatal complication of untreated diabetes. The hospital lab had registered my glucose level at 1130 mg/dL—ten times the normal level. After two days in ICU, I was transported to the "diabetic ward" where I was shown how to inject myself two to four times a day with insulin in my belly and my thighs. I was sent from there to diabetic classes where I was told that I was eating correctly but needed to cut my portions in half.
When my brother found out how sick I was, he sent me a book called "The McDougall Plan." I read a few chapters, and continued following the meal program the diabetic center dietitians had taught me. No matter how hard I tried my glucose levels would not stabilize. The dietitians' recommendation: just increase my dosage of insulin and maybe try oral diabetic medication. Unfortunately, the new pills, Glucophage, created unbelievable bowel distress. I started to think, that maybe eating beans, fruits and vegetables wouldn't be so hard to do—I got down "The McDougall Plan" again and read it cover to cover—all I wanted to do was to be well. However, putting into practice what I read was not all that easy.
Finally, in January of 2006, my wife and I took what we like to call "our most important vacation ever"—we joined John and Mary for their 10 day program in Santa Rosa, California. I learned more in those 10 days than I had learned in all my previous years of natural health education. We started the program with an exam from Dr. McDougall, where he addressed my health issues. Every morning, Mary McDougall was there to take my blood pressure, weigh me, and check how I was doing. The lectures were insightful and very pertinent to my getting well. Subjects included protein, calcium, diabetes, high blood pressure, how to use the Internet, reading labels and finding hidden fat. I thought that it would be hard to cook delicious meals, but we were given excellent recipes in our cooking class. The delicious food at the program was served buffet style and I had no limitation on how much I could eat—what a change! Exercise became a joy, not drudgery. What I learned most from the program was that all the misinformation given to us by our trusted doctors and dietitians was really making us very sick. I should have figured this out on my own by the way I had continued to look and feel while following their advice.
Before adopting The McDougall Program, my weight averaged 290 to 295 pounds, my blood pressure was in the area of 195/110 mmHg and my glucose levels were in the range of 300 to 400 mg/dL.
Now my blood pressure is down to 110/80 mmHg and my glucose levels average about 120 to 130 Mg/dL, and I am off insulin and pills. I am down to 190 pounds, a total weight loss of about 100 pounds in 9 months, and I have lost 13 inches off my waist. I am a new person—my level of confidence and self esteem are at a heightened level that I had not felt in decades. I have changed so much that people who have not seen me in a while have to look twice to make sure it's me.
Finally, I want to add that the McDougall Program (even though I did not follow it for many years) was the major force that caused me to return to school and to get my degree in natural health. After seven years of study I am now a Doctor of Naturopathy and practice in and around the Orange County/ Los Angeles area. I give lectures on the benefits of a low fat vegan lifestyle—and now, because of all the weight I have lost and my radiant energy, I am viewed by the audiences I speak to and my patients with far more credibility.[/quote]
My work here is done. I won't be replying to you any more. Have I mentioned that I've lost over 200 lbs. and have probably saved a badly infected and ulcerated leg doing this? You know, I wish I had labs proving that my blood sugars have dropped massively from the untreated 400 or higher from the time of my diagnosis until now, but being uninsured and broke I can only surmise that those numbers are much better based on how I feel.
Anyway, good luck to you.
...helped nearly all of these people weigh less:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/index.html
Every last one of them is a real person and I've had the pleasure of communicating online with a few of them. I look forward to the day when my own name and story are added to that list.
In the meantime, please feel free to ignore the video I posted as well as the link above, and continue to deny the obvious.
Obviously loads of study has gone into methods to ... persuade? ... people to avoid risky behaviours of all kinds. Risky to themselves, and to others. Think of smoking, and the loud and graphic exhortations and dire warnings I look at (and don't see) every time I open a package of Canadian cigarettes.
Ontario's "Arrive Alive" anti-drunk driving media campaigns have been praised as an effective example. They don't chide or guilt -- they focus on offering alternatives.
Related links down the side show some oldies in the same series too -- "What if a Barenaked Lady asked you to drive sober? would that convince you?" And Shania Twain saying "call home, take a cab or stay overnight".
Shame and guilt actually has been effective to some extent in reducing drunk driving -- but hey, drunk driving is something people should feel ashamed and guilty about. Normal people won't choose to do something illegal that a majority of society strongly condemns. But offering people better choices in their own interests (to stay out of jail, or to stay alive) can pick up the slack.
"Make better choices" is the message that people who do want to alter their behaviour need, and what they especially need are the opportunities and alternatives that enable them to do that.
For people who do want to be healthier, it's as simple as eating a celery stick instead of eating a taco. Ha ha. If only it were that "simple".
I'm kind of muddling here, but I'm agreeing with you. Being overweight is not like driving drunk; it is nobody else's business, essentially, except to the extent that (as with smoking) a society takes an interest in the well-being of its members.
The anti-choice crowed realized some time back that trying to shame and guilt women into not having abortions just didn't work, and they switched to the "right-brain" tactic of appealing to women's self-image as strong and competent, to get the desired result. (That doesn't seem to be working out too well for them either, but hey, some things just aren't meant to be.)
So maybe the whole "big is beautiful" thing isn't totally misguided, if it counters the shame in some way. Unfortunately, I guess, it still focuses on the weight thing, itself. I'd rather see a message that went more along the lines of "your weight is not who you are", and helped people to get to know and appreciate themselves for who they actually are, and then to be good to themselves.
Shaming somebody isn't really the best way to get them to be good to themselves, which is really what we should want for someone who is overweight.