Exploring Your Beliefs About Food

I find that people have very interesting ideas about how food works in their lives, and what they expect to be able to change about their relationship with food. Some of my clients tell me that they want to have perfect “control” over food, and NEVER eat anything they consider unhealthy. And they feel really badly about themselves when they don’t follow this rule. I hear things like “I was eating really healthy, and then I had that cake and that just ruined everything.”

Is this realistic? Is anyone absolutely perfect about what they eat? I think the answers to these questions is NO. And what would be a perfect, healthy diet, anyway? Some people think that never eating sweets or junk food or too much fat or sugar makes for a perfect diet. Others believe that never eating between meals makes for perfection. I once heard Oprah say that being hungry made her happy because she could feel the fat being sucked out of her thighs. And, of course, we need lots of fruits, veggies, and whole grains to be perfect. So many rules!

Now, remember that I am a dietitian, and it’s true that fruits, veggies and whole grains are a part of a healthy, balanced diet. But such a diet also includes one’s favorite less healthy foods, in moderation, and in balance with these basics of a good diet. Any most important, eating what you really, really want to be eating is most important. If you are allowed those “forbidden” foods, they lose their power, and take their place as part of your repertoire of possible foods.

Teaching College Students about Nutrition and Diet

I'm a teacher at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. My students are studying to be health professionals in a variety of specialties, in nursing, physical therapy, exercise physiology, and pharmacy.

My courses include material on obesity and weight management, as well as eating disorders and disordered eating. It is fascinating to listen to students' responses to these topics.

I always include a "health at every size" slant on these subjects, since I believe that restrictive dieting does not work. Instead, I encourage my clients to learn to tune in to their bodies and find out when, what and how much they need to eat. As a dietitian, I encourage whole, fresh, "healthy" foods, but all foods fit into a healthy, normal eating pattern.

Some students express the very strong conviction that people should just "shape up" and force themselves with DISCIPLINE to eat fewer calories and exercise more to lose weight and keep it off. They fail to understand that some people just store calories more efficiently, and the goal for all people should be eating mostly healthy, whole, fresh foods, and moving our bodies in ways that feel good.

I teach both my students and my clients that the goal of eating should be to leave you feeling satisfied, healthy, and strong.

How responsible is government for our personal health decisions?

Here's a link to a New York Times article by Dr. Sandeep Jauhar in which he discusses the idea that people with good health habits should pay less for health insurance than those with poor habits.

The idea is one of personal responsibility, and the government's responsibility to "pick up the pieces" when individuals don't comply with medical advice. It turns out that it's just not that simple, of course. As Dr. Jauhar says, "When people advocate the need for personal accountability, they presuppose more control over health and sickness than really exists."

We like to think that if we each just worked harder at "good" health habits, all of our chronic health problems would be eliminated. If people just ate "better", exercised, didn't smoke, and had less stress, we would have less obesity and overweight, less heart disease and less diabetes, and therefore lower health care costs. It turns out that's not really true. Changing one's diet and exercise doesn't necessarily result in weight loss. The system is much more complex than that, and much messier! Americans want THE ANSWER to complex problems, tied up in a neat bow. The problem of personal responsibility when it comes to health habits is much more complicated than that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/health/30risk.html?ref=health

Submit Your Comments
to the
First Lady's
Childhood Obesity Task Force

The First Lady, Michelle Obama, has established a task force as part of her childhood obesity initiative and is seeking recommendations on the following goals:

(a) ensuring access to healthy, affordable food;
(b) increasing physical activity in schools and communities;
(c) providing healthier food in schools; and
(d) empowering parents with information and tools to make good choices for themselves and their families

To submit your comments to the task force, and for more information about the obestiy initiative, please visit http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480abe53d

What do you think about these ideas? They are great, but....let's be careful we don't stigmatize "overweight" kids. Let's remember that all shapes and sizes of bodies are OK, and can easily be healthy with good food and exercise. Where your body "lands" is where it's supposed to be. We need to help kids ACCEPT others' differences in shape and size. Stigmatizing and making fun of larger people is just rude, mean and makes things much worse for them.
How would you like it if people made fun of something about you that is "different"?

Fascinating article in NY Times re: Prejudice against fat people

Paul Campos and Marilyn Wann wrote a terrific oped piece on fat prejudice last week. Here's a link:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2010/0308 2010-03-08_fatties_its_time_to_fight_back.html

This is not a new idea, but one that's gaining traction in the "real" world. How is it that hating fat people is still OK? It's assumed that if they "just" ate better and exercised more they wouldn't be fat. It also assumes that fat people are by definition unhealthy. Nothing could be further from the truth!

It is quite possible to be fat and healthy. Surprised? Friends and family members of mine have believed that fat=unhealthy. These are otherwise very intelligent and educated people. I want to dispell these ideas!

BTW, it is NOT true that fat people all eat badly and don't exercise. That's certainly true for some, but for many it's just the way their bodies work. Would you hate people with blue eyes? Or all white (black, latino, Asian) people? I sure hope not!

Best way to lose weight?

There's been a lot in the media lately about making small changes in what you eat and how you exercise to maintain your weight and/or to lose weight. Michelle Obama has been talking about this in terms of children and overweight and obesity. Is it true that small changes can stimulate weight loss? Perhaps not. Here's an iteresting article in the NY Times.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/in-obesity-epidemic-whats-one-cookie/?emc=eta1

The Great Weight Debate: Is It OK to be FAT??

Here's a great piece, with video, from Nightline, discussing if you can be healthy and still overweight or fat. Great video, too. Check it out.
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/FaceOff/weight-debate-fat/story?id=9911743