Weight Loss; The Gainers, The Losers, and The Profiteers

Is all the talk about weight loss just talk? Can a person really keep weight off? Is the Game rigged against you? Well, if you fall for all the advertising, maybe it is. 

A recent feature article in the New York Times chronicles the unfortunate fate of participants in The Biggest Loser after the spotlights dim, the TV cameras stop speeding, and time goes by. They regain weight. Some of it, most of it, all of it, or even all of it plus some.

What the New York Times tells us, no surprise to those of us who have worked directly with severely obese patients over the years, is that failure overtakes the show participants.

Those of us in these trenches have known all along that though challenging, losing weight for these people is not the problem. Sustaining weight loss is where most efforts fall down.

Preventing the Problem

I think the Times neglects the principal implication. Severe obesity can almost always, and should almost always be prevented in the first place. If ever an ounce of prevention was worth many pounds of cure, this is the time.

Something that should always be remembered is that processed foods can be addictive and the addiction can be just as bad as drugs for some of us. That's one reason that most people regain the weight they lost within the first two years.

Participants on The Biggest Loser have severe obesity. Severe obesity is the fastest growing segment of the modern epidemic. A TV show can make a spectator sport of a problem, but it cannot fix it. Why? Because in our culture, food literally is addictive. But some people have the power to break the habit. Because losing weight is not about how much you eat, but what foods you're eating and what you drink.

Let’s not mince words here: marketing obesity is big business, and a wide array of businesses are feeding on it. They include but are not limited to, Big Food which profits from causing the problem; Big Pharma, which profits from treating the problem; Big Tech, which profits both from causing and combating the problem; and Big Media/Publishing, which profit from telling us about the problem in a customary manner: afflicting us when comfortable and comforting us when afflicted.

We know that obesity can be prevented because most of history prevented it. We have seen history fast-forward in places like China, where obesity was rare until just a matter of years ago and is skyrocketing with the adoption of all the cultural practices we are so adept at exporting.

As I see it, the only way to eliminate obesity is through education. Start in the primary schools and stay with those kids all through school. We have to make sure they understand that good health is something you have to do every day.  What we should eat and what we shouldn’t, how to exercise and stay fit. How to maintain your body and what we should never do to our body.

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.

If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans.

 Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.