|
Vegetarian: Vegetarian Cooking: Vegetarian Recipes: Meatless,
Wholesome Recipes
|
How to Approach
Body Weight
in a
Healthy Way |
 |
We know that many people have weight issues today. We think
we can be of help -- below is an excerpt from our book, The
Healthiest Diet in the World, which we believe puts body weight
in its proper context. We are encouraged by the two unsolicited
testimonials directly below that appeared on the web relating The
Healthiest Diet in the World to weight. (If you have had similar
experiences, please let us know so we can share them with others. You
can write to us at dgoldbeck@hvc.rr.com.)
|
David & Nikki Goldbeck |
"The Goldbecks" cook with Donahue |
Please feel free to print these pages out or to forward them to
others. (There is a forward feature at the end of this page.)
- - Nikki & David Goldbeck
From Long Beach, California:
I had given up on losing weight. For 47 of my 57 years I have
struggled with being overweight. I read about "The Healthiest
Diet In The World" in the Vegetarian Times magazine. I got the
book and went on their very easy to follow program not to lose weight
but for the health of it, and so far I have lost 17 pounds. The tips
about combining a protein with a carbohydrate have really changed my
life. For the first time I do not crave sweets and I am eating more
than I did when I was on a DIET. The recipes are great! I love tofu
and they really have some great recipes using it. I don't know how to
begin to thank the authors of this book. I have recommended the
program to everyone I know and when people mention my weight loss I
always give them the name of the book.
From Seattle, Washington
Forget trendy diets, this book is a great guide to changing your
life! It is very informative and provides recipes and guidelines for
a nutritional diet. If you want to lose weight, feel great, live long
and healthy, this is the book.
From The Healthiest Diet in the World by Nikki & David Goldbeck
THE WEIGHT ISSUE: WHAT (YOU EAT) VS. WEIGHT
This book isn't about body weight, but as the subject seems to be on
virtually everyone's mind, we would be remiss in not discussing it.
We want to state right off that a substantial volume of research
validates that body weight doesn't necessarily parallel health,
although at both the upper and lower ends of the scale it does appear
to have an influence. For most people who are "dieting,"
however, the concern is appearance, not health. The connection
between self-worth and weight, as well as the issue of public image
and weight, are extremely important; but they aren't within the scope
of this book, which is about healthy eating, not healthy attitudes.
When it comes to health and weight, though, we do have a few things
to say.
According to U.S. government statistics, more than one third of
adults are considered to be overweight (a figure that has gone up
almost ten percent since the 1970s). Children also appear to be
fatter than ever. What has never been adequately determined, however,
is what does being "over weight" mean, as well as what are
the effects of being "under weight."
While the relationship between weight and health remains unclear,
what we know with certainty is that the quality of one's diet is
fundamental to good health.
Weighty Questions
Weight isn't just a question of numbers. When evaluating weight
management needs, a knowledgeable health professional considers many
factors which individuals trying to lose (or gain) weight should look
at as well. But oddly enough, scores of people subject themselves to
all kinds of weight loss schemes without these assessments. Moreover,
they resist initiating sensible diet and lifestyle changes that are
known to be integral to well-being.
Below are some questions you should examine before making a
determination about your weight. They are each addressed in the
discussion that follows.
People are Dying to Weigh Less
Statistics from the mid-1990s indicate that at any given moment in
the U.S., 40 percent of women and 24 percent of men are trying to
lose weight. Whether for reasons of health or appearance, these
people average 2.3 diet attempts each year. As many as 16 percent of
women age 19 to 39 consider themselves "perpetual dieters."
Many of these dieters aren't actually above recommended weight. Among
those who are, more than 90 percent are likely to regain most or more
of their lost pounds within five years.
While people view their weight in terms of pounds, a figure known as
body mass index (BMI) is the guideline used in health settings. BMI,
a number based on a ratio of weight to height, is explained below in
"Finding Your Body Mass Index." Within a given range of
BMI, people are categorized as being of healthy weight, moderately
overweight or severely overweight. Though there is a big space
beneath healthy weight in which people are presumably underweight,
much less attention is paid to this segment of the population.
The criteria used to determine weight categories vary and are
complicated by socioeconomic issues. Various public health agencies
and researchers propose different cut-off points. The life insurance
tables that have traditionally been the reference point for weight
are widely criticized as being biased in favor of economically stable
white men (the population most apt to have health insurance). A
legitimate concern of many investigators of weight-health issues is
what this means for women and people of different ethnic origins,
whose biological programming doesn't appear to parallel that of white
males. For example, as a result of this stereotype, older white,
non-Hispanic women, and black and Hispanic adult males and females
are more apt to be considered overweight. U.S. government figures
claim that 50 percent of Mexican American women and 52 percent of
non-Hispanic Black American women are overweight! Data on Asian
Americans is scant.
Although statistics indicate people are getting heavier, the vision
of what people should ideally weigh is simultaneously getting
narrower. In 1990, the official USDA weight guidelines raised the
cut-off point for healthy weight after age 35 (in other words, they
added a few extra pounds); in 1995 they withdraw this allowance for
healthy weight to increase with age, although evidence confirms a
natural trend in this direction and, within limits, improved health
outcomes. Currently the USDA considers a BMI of 19 to 25 as optimal
for everyone over the age of 19 years. However, a number of important
studies dispute this.
Among the evidence that supports higher ideal weight is an impressive
study from Cornell University to the effect that optimal weight for
men is about 15 pounds heavier than most recommendations.
Consequently, a BMI between 23 to 29 is more suitable for men, with
the lowest risk of death related to a BMI of 27. Their conclusion
comes from analyzing 22 studies correlating weight to all causes of
mortality. About 1,000 citations were considered to find these
studies in order to isolate what the researchers felt was the best
controlled and least biased data. A British study published in 1997
(after the Cornell review), which followed over 7,700 men for almost
15 years, made a similar determination; mortality from all causes
increased only in men with a BMI under 20 or when BMI reached 30.
Figures claiming higher death rates for people with BMIs below the
healthy weight range are often discounted due a belief that smoking
or preexisting illness clouds the issue. The Cornell study found this
to be a misconception. Contrary to expectations, when smoking and
illness were controlled for, mortality rose in almost equal
increments both below and above the 23-to-29-point range.
Unfortunately, there is limited information available on weight and
mortality in white women, and even less on various ethnic groups, so
no conclusions can be drawn regarding these populations.
The Nurses' Health Study, one of the few long-term studies of women's
health and the most often cited, affirms that weight gains up to 22
pounds don't increase mortality risks for women. And after age 70,
higher weights are associated with the lowest mortality. Researchers
at the National Institute of Health Obesity Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt
Hospital in New York claim that for older women a BMI of 28 to 32
and for men 26 to 30 is most desirable.
Thus, despite the restrictive nature of the 1995 U.S. Dietary
Guidelines, there actually appears to be a rather broad range of
weight associated with low mortality. Note however, as you stray
above and below this realm, what you weigh becomes increasingly risky.
Are You Sick of Your Weight
Of the hundreds of studies that have looked at the link between
cancer and obesity, what has been found are mild to moderate
associations with rates of prostate and colorectal cancer in men, and
gall bladder, breast, cervical, endometrial, uterine, and ovarian
cancers in women. Not all studies have found a connection, however,
and in none of those that have could weight alone be considered conclusive.
One scientific explanation of how weight might be implicated lies in
the fact that fat tissue is capable of converting a major hormone
secreted by the adrenal gland into a form of estrogen. This, coupled
with the fact that obese women and postmenopausal women exhibit other
hormone changes, might account for the increased odds ratio for some
of the aforementioned hormone-related cancers.
Another theory as to how extra body weight could effect cancer lies
in the hypothesis that abdominal fat, which is where men have a
tendency to accumulate fat tissue, is more biologically active. A
link between this activity and cell development and proliferation may
hold a clue as to why heavy men are more likely to get colon cancer.
On the other hand, it's quite conceivable that certain foods and
behavior patterns predispose towards both cancer and obesity. For
example, colon cancer is consistently associated with increased
consumption of red meat and some types of fat, decreased consumption
of vegetables, and physical inactivity. Overweight men tend to
consume more meat and fat, eat fewer vegetables, and get less
exercise then lean men, making it difficult to separate weight from
these other potential risk factors.
Although the incidence of heart disease parallels increases in BMI,
several studies claim that the association is specifically with fat
around the abdomen compared to fat deposited at the hips, thighs or
buttocks. Likewise higher BMIs, and particularly abdominal body fat,
correlate highly with a decline in insulin sensitivity, or the
effectiveness of insulin to lower blood sugar levels. When this
happens, the body compensates by producing more insulin, resulting in
a condition called hyperinsulinemia. Many studies have shown that
obese adults have much higher insulin levels in their blood than
leaner people. The dangerous health implications of this situation
are discussed in detail in GGG#1: Carbohydrate Compatibility.
Even though central girth (that is belly size) is cited most often in
relation to illness, this may not hold true for all ethnic groups.
This difference serves as a reminder that the health effects of
weight could vary according not only to sex, but also genetic background.
Bigger Bodies
Height and body frame size have also been considered in relation to
cancer risk. Taller, larger framed adults appear to have a somewhat
greater risk for both breast and colon cancers (and possibly other
sites). Adult stature is a direct consequence of growth and
maturation during childhood and adolescence; while this is
genetically controlled, nutrition during these years play a big part
in the realization of genetic potential. Again, hormone production
could explain this relationship. Taller people have been exposed to
more insulin-like growth factors, which play a role in the
development of cancerous colon cells and breast tissue development.
Timing
In examining weight changes over time, small gradual weight gain
during adulthood generally isn't considered a concern. In fact, there
is some indication that health is more compromised by recurrent
fluctuations in weight (that is, a pattern of alternating weight gain
and weight loss). As mentioned though, weight gain among adults of
more than 10 kg (22 pounds), not weight per se, is associated with
greater mortality.
As the preceding section on body frame suggests, obesity during
childhood could create an environment that predisposes towards
certain genetic inclinations, including insulin resistance. While
serious health consequences during childhood are seen only in the
severely obese, children who are fat are considered more likely to
become fat adults, and thus perhaps more prone to certain outcomes
linked to obesity later in life. On the other hand, it's doubtful
that coercing children to lose weight and withholding food improves
their long-term health.
THE BIG QUESTION: Who Needs to Lose Weight?
Obviously, the relationship between weight and disease is extremely
complex. Until the genetic determinants of weight can be separated
from behavioral causes, predictions about the real effect of weight
are speculative. Many heavy people will never develop any of the
ailments that are often associated with weight, such as some cancers,
heart disease, strokes, diabetes, gall bladder disease, respiratory
illness, and osteoarthritis; likewise, lean people are certainly
subject to all these conditions as well. However, it appears that in
conjunction with other risk factors, including unsound food choices,
low activity level, menopausal status, and a genetic predisposition
towards insulin resistance, weight places people at higher risk. How
much or how little, and how influential this is we don't know.
Every responsible health practitioner would probably agree that the
worst way to address weight is to jump from one restrictive diet to
another. The reason for this is that getting to the "right"
weight doesn't mean your diet is sound, and conversely, as we have
said, being over- or underweight doesn't establish that someone is
poorly nourished. What you eat is more important than what you weigh.
A rational approach for children and adults is to maintain a healthy
weight by making sensible food choices and keeping your body
"busy," that is through regular activity or exercise. Even
if you aren't satisfied with the weight that results, the
health-protective effects of proper diet and exercise will prevail.
Click
here: BMI Calculators
For more information about this book, Click
Here
|
