Archives: July 2009
Mon Jul 27, 2009
The Beginning and the End
To get patients to lose weight, I make them uncomfortable with the U.S. culture. They must feel like strangers in a strange land. Complacent people do not lose weight. This first objective is accomplished by my first visit speech, accompanied by the evidence on display in my office. More...
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Fri Jul 24, 2009
Obesity in History
The first historical evidence of obesity are the obese clay figurines of fertility goddesses at Mohenjo-Daro. The figurines do not prove that obese people then existed. I mean, Barbie exists, but no current woman has her dimensions. The first known real obese person was Hatshepsut of Egypt (pronounced ha-chep'-sutt) who served as pharaoh from 1473 to 1458 BC. Obese with diabetes, she died from an infected tooth. (National Geographic, April 2009). More...
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Fri Jul 17, 2009
The Automatic Pilot Diet
The best diet for losing weight, for the long run, in the majority of people, is a diet on automatic pilot consisting of habits and rules the patient thought about once, set in place and forever does. It may be useful initially for some patients to count calories, weigh portions, keep food diaries, etc., but it is a poor strategy in the long run. People don't have time or motivation; they won't keep doing it, and if the bariatrician insists too much, the patients will stop going to the doctor. If the teacher gives too much homework, the students play hooky. More...
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Tue Jul 14, 2009
Titanic Plates, Really
Over the weekend in New York City, I saw the exposition of materials recovered from the wreck of the Titanic at the Discovery Museum near Times Square. The dinner plates onboard were small, about 9", and another thing . . . More...
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Wed Jul 08, 2009
A Goal Attitude, Not a Goal Weight
"Experts" urge me to set a goal weight for my patients, but I know that is counterproductive. If a patient fails to reach their goal weight, they feel disappointed and give up. If they reach the goal, they get lazy. To ensure they reach the goal, I make the goal too easy. Setting a weight-goal corrupts everybody. Even doctors who recommend the practice can't tell me why. They haven't thought about the issue. I have. More...
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Thu Jul 02, 2009
Why Public Eating Reduces Obesity
Lesson #6 commands you to eat with friends as often as possible. You should (almost) never eat alone. I learned this lesson from the Italians in Italy, who are almost all lean & happy. Public eating is a major cause. There are four reasons. More...
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