Blog posted originally on diet.com on July 6, 2009
Didja see the latest headlines????
Excess Pounds, but Not Too Many, May Lead to Longer Life
-- N.Y. Times, June 26, 2009
Now how about that!
One might be shocked, unless you read about the huge U.S. government population study (NHANES) which found 86,094 fewer deaths in the overweight range, and 33,746 more deaths in the thin range, compared to "normal" BMI’s (18.5 to 24.9).
In fact, every population study I have read confirms this phenomenon.
This particular study analyzed data on 11,326 Canadian adults, ages 25 and older, for a 12-year period. Overweight people (BMI of 25-29.9) were 17 percent less likely to die than those of average weight, while underweight people (BMI less than 18.5) were 73 percent more likely to die than average weight folks.
Apparently, some excess weight is protective, especially for the elderly, who have the greatest risk of dying. Many health conditions associated with being overweight, like high blood pressure, may have developed because people are living so long. However, these conditions are now successfully treated with medication.
In fact, the death rate from cancer in the U.S. is astronomically higher than in India – because Indians generally weigh less, and don’t live long enough for cancer to develop! Therefore, the "overweight edge" often augments survival, though media often spins this data negatively. For instance, the cancer study headlines screamed about overweight people being more likely to die of cancer… but never mentioned that it was because they lived longer!
The day before the Canadian story broke, the following headline also hit the N.Y. Times: Obesity May Have Offered Edge Over TB. This study offered specific evidence confirming that people with excess fat stores were more likely to survive famines, over the course of human evolution.
Fat may not only store energy, but also seems ... to rev up the body’s immune system, which offered a survival advantage in the 1800s, when people were plagued by tuberculosis.
One author from The Journal of the American Medical Association, was quoted saying that this little miracle has “outlived its usefulness,” and another doctor said that we are paying a high price for a highly activated defense system that’s now pretty obsolete.
Do they actually believe this? What if we were nuked, and our food supply was contaminated? Who might survive to propagate the species? People with a little meat on their bones, I dare say. Survival of the fattest?
Since being "overweight" can be protective, can we finally eliminate the word overweight, and just call it the "healthy weight?" Instead of describing fat as excess weight, can we simply call it a blessing? Or will discrimination and ingrained attitudes continue this charade of making overweight people feel bad about themselves?
If I had my druthers, I would eliminate all demarcations regarding weight, since there are certainly some thin people who outlive some fat people. There are no absolutes, only trends.
"Dr. Abby’s Diet Revolution" is ready and willing to lead the way towards becoming your personal best, regardless of size. My life’s work teaches people how to lead a relatively healthy lifestyle - without yo-yo dieting, which encourages enjoyment of food and movement. Discrimination towards yourself and others is no longer acceptable. Onward!
Click here for a FREE copy of Dr. Abby's book, Your Final Diet.
Dr. Abby Aronowitz is a psychologist, speaker and coach, who completed work at Columbia University. She holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. Previously a consultant to Weight Watchers International, Dr. Abby has been featured on WebMD.com and AOL Diet and Fitness. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and Mensa.
www.yourfinaldiet.com
Blog posted originally on - diet.com---------------------
Women should be able to dress with style, flair and dignity, regardless of size!
We always feel better when putting on clothes that fit well, express our personality and look great. There is a new generation of large-size clothing that’ll knock your socks off!
Ditch those boring and unshapely Muumuus for something that celebrates your size. I say, if you can’t always look thin, look grand!Some fabulous catalogues and websites feature a wide array of sizes in stylish clothes. For instance, Ashro.com offers gorgeous clothes with bold, beautiful styling. Elegant suits are complete with optional hats, which balance proportions of large women, while offering stature. Evening wear is simply divine, with international styling. There are fitted and flowing fashions in scrumptious colors, ranging from size 4 to XXXL (24-26). I’ve never seen anything like it.Pyrimid Collection (PyramidCollection.com) also offers exotic clothing, some of which range up to 28W. This is for those with a touch of Goddess flair, or even a Gothic tone. There are beautiful corseted looks with handkerchief sleeves and Wiccan capes… along with lots of gorgeous jewelry and knickknacks.Metrostyle.com offers sophisticated suits, leggings, jeans, and casual wear ranging from size 6–20.Jessica London offers classic sportsware exclusively for sizes 14W-34W, with petites and talls also available .I believe I have personally kept Newport News in business. They offer such a variety of lovely items; most of which are available up to a size 18 or XL, although there are a few items in larger sizes.Most of these catalogues offer shoes, boots and jewelry as well.Of course the drawback is that you can’t try on clothes before purchasing them. However, some have easy refund policies, including a flat rate of $6.95 and no time limit on returns.One word of caution: if you order something and don’t want to receive a mountain of unsolicited catalogues, simply ask them not to rent your name when ordering. Otherwise you’ll be buried in paper... like me!Dr. Abby Aronowitz is a psychologist, speaker and coach, who completed work at Columbia University. She holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. Previously a consultant to Weight Watchers International, Dr. Abby has been featured on WebMD.com and AOL Diet and Fitness. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and Mensa.Dr. Abby AronowitzYour Final Diet
Blog posted originally on diet.com - 5/14/09
Last week, I squared off with the South Beach Diet Doctor Arthur Agatson to discuss whether it's possible for a person to be both fit and fat at the same time.This week, my discussion continues with a debate about interval exercise versus high intensity exercise.Dr. Abby: Dr. Agatston, as a dancer, I was thrilled to read about benefits of interval exercise and its relation to dangerous fat. Could you please clarify this?
Dr. Agatston: Yes! Since we wrote the book South Beach Diet Supercharged, the literature is just getting more and more impressive, specifically for “interval” versus “steady state” exercise.You get definite benefits from high intensity exercise for treating metabolic syndrome and diabetes. When a period of high intensity exercise is followed by a rest period, you can do more high intensity exercise.For instance, if you just sprint, you’re going to be out of breath and be done. However, when you do a “work cycle” followed by a “recovery cycle,” you can get more high intensity in overall, than if you just go high intensity until you’re exhausted.Some studies, where they’ve actually done muscle biopsies, show improved insulin sensitivity when intervals include high intensity exercise. Other studies found that you lose more belly fat, and more fat in general, given the same calorie output with interval versus steady state exercise.Intervals also recall the way our ancestors behaved; the natural way we perform. High intensity was usually done where there was work and rest, such as shoveling, picking, plowing or pushing.Dr. Abby: I love that you recall “back to nature,” and the way that our bodies were intended to work. That’s really a bedrock of my philosophy; health at every size naturally. We should learn what our bodies are meant to do, and work with it instead of fighting it.Dr. Agatston: Yes! Things like walking to school, and incorporating exercise into our everyday lives again is important. My primary theme today is that our bodies were designed to live in the wild. When you look at the extremely different lifestyles of today, including sitting over a computer all day and not moving, grabbing fast food, driving everywhere, and shopping on the Internet, it is the antithesis of what we were meant to be doing.Dr. Abby: I agree! Dr. Agatston, thanks for another enlightening ... Commentary: Start dancin’! Dancing is high intensity exercise followed by rest, and is fun, fun, fun! Of course if you’d rather plow and shovel, that’s fine too, since working outside with nature can bring solace, joy, and apparently health!Interval exercising can be done with any activity you enjoy. It’s not about the type of exercise; it’s about the process. “Dr. Abby’s Diet Revolution” suggests living a sustainable, healthy lifestyle, rather than losing weight per se. Concentrating on the “process” insures a great outcome, instead of focusing on the outcome, which may be obtained by temporary or artificial measures.Moving your body more naturally, and for pleasure, increases the likelihood of sticking to it. Too many of my patients begin an intense exercise regime when they’re “in the zone.” They’re dieting, exercising, getting on the scale, and completely obsessed with weight loss. After a period of time they cannot sustain the intensity, and the whole thing falls apart.Creating a more moderate lifestyle, which includes interval exercise, might help us to win the war, instead of fighting miserable battles that we keep on losing.A more complete version of this interview will be found in my next book, Dr. Abby’s Diet Revolution! This is a small excerpt from a rather extensive interview. To obtain a copy when it becomes available, please click here to sign up, and receive a free pdf of my current book, Your Final Diet.NOTE: Some editorial license was used to edit Dr. Agatston’s lengthy answers to my questions. Every effort was made to preserve the integrity of content.For more information about South Beach Diet, click here.GET A FREE COPY OF THE SOUTH BEACH DIET SUPERCHARGED! Dr. Agatston has graciously provided copies of his bestselling book, now out in paperback. To get your free copy of this insightful and enlightening book, simply become a Diet.com Premium Member today. Be sure to use Coupon Code FREEOFFER66 when completing your enrollment.Dr. Abby Aronowitz is a psychologist, speaker and coach, who completed work at Columbia University. She holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. Previously a consultant to Weight Watchers International, Dr. Abby has been featured on WebMD.com and AOL Diet and Fitness. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and Mensa.
Dr. Abby Aronowitz - Your Final Diet
Blog posted originally on diet.com - 5/4/09
Is it possible to be both fat and fit? It's a question that's been near and dear to me for many years now. I believe that YES... you can be "fat" and still fit.I recently sat down with a respected diet expert -- Dr. Arthur Agatston, creator of The South Beach Diet -- to get his opinions on this important matter.
Does Dr. Agatston, aka "Dr. South Beach" believe that people can be fat and fit, or does he believe that fat people need to lose weight in order to be healthy? His answers to my probing questions may surprise you.
Check out Part 1 of this exclusive interview with the South Beach Diet Doc:Dr. Abby: Dr. Agatston, you have used the term "fat and fit." Could you please elaborate on how that's possible?Dr. Agatston: Yes, actually the term is from Dr. Steven Blair from the Cooper Clinic originally. It's the idea that some people who are a little pudgy or overweight, or have a high BMI, can be in good shape. They have a low risk for coronary disease. In my practice we see, for instance, overweight women with blood chemistries of a vegetarian marathoner! Instead of high triglycerides and low HDL (good cholesterol), they have low triglycerides and very high HDLs. They're really at low risk. The flip side is what's been coined at the Mayo clinic as "normal weight obesity," where people have normal BMI's but have little bowling balls in their bellies, and are at high risk.Dr. Abby: I agree! I have certainly found that people can be fit and fat in my practice. It has been frustrating for them and frustrating for me to help them to accept their bodies, which they see as not thin enough. How might one identify their ideal weight?Dr. Agatston: I go patient by patient looking at their "lifestyle numbers," including triglycerides, HDL, insulin resistance and blood pressure. If they're not having exaggerated swings in blood sugar, then they lose cravings and are satisfied with food. I really go by the physiologic risk factors, rather than by BMI's or weight tables. There are some pretty extreme cases. One woman I discuss has always been "roly poly." She doesn't have cravings, and doesn't eat a lot. She's been on a diet and lost a little bit, but has an HDL of 80 and triglycerides in the 50s. She's just not at high risk. She has something that people don't understand in general; I'll say a low metabolism.Dr. Abby: I agree that we need to get away from an ideal weight or BMI. It’s more about those lifestyle measures. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this important matter.
Commentary: I am thrilled to hear the South Beach diet doc acknowledge that it’s all about living the healthiest life you can, without regard for weight. We must accept whatever size our body becomes… with grace and dignity. I call it our personal best!However, the hard part is accepting the body size that results from living a relatively healthy lifestyle. We will probably think it looks too fat, since very few people are naturally thin.Natural body weights are very diverse, yet we have been taught that fat people are ugly, unattractive, and worth less than thin people. You may believe this yourself, and beat yourself up for being what is considered overweight, unhealthy and unattractive.This begins a very unhealthy cycle, which drains self-esteem, erodes confidence and diminishes self worth. This deteriorates the desire and ability to take good care of yourself and stand proud.A more complete version of this interview will be found in my next book, Dr. Abby’s Diet Revolution! This is a small excerpt from a rather extensive interview. To obtain a copy of the complete interview when it becomes available, please click here to sign up, and receive a free PDF of my current book, Your Final Diet.Please check back soon for the next installment of the "Dr. Abby vs. Dr. South Beach" interview.NOTE: Some editorial license was used to edit Dr. Agatston’s lengthy answers to my questions. Every effort was made to preserve the integrity of content.GET A FREE COPY OF THE SOUTH BEACH DIET SUPERCHARGED! Dr. Agatston has graciously provided copies of his bestselling book, now out in paperback. To get your free copy of this insightful and enlightening book, simply become a Diet.com Premium Member today. Be sure to use Coupon Code FREEOFFER66 when completing your enrollment.Dr. Abby Aronowitz is a psychologist, speaker and coach, who completed work at Columbia University. She holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. Previously a consultant to Weight Watchers International, Dr. Abby has been featured on WebMD.com and AOL Diet and Fitness. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and Mensa.
Dr. Abby Aronowitz
Your Final Diet
Food and Movement Diary: Saturday, April 11th
Woke up (at 1:30PM!), and after doing a few chores, ate some red grapes (50 calories), two organic hot dogs (320 calories), and two slices of 12-grain bread (220 calories). I took supplements of green tea extract to fight off cancer, resveretrol (red wine ingredient) to prolong my life, glucosomine to make it hurt less, calcium, a multi, and a softgel of omega fish oils.
Later on, I indulged in a delightful outdoor bath in my private woods, with weights on my ankles for stretching. (Woo Hooo!)
Afterwards, other weights on my arms and legs augmented 50 abdominal exercises, in preparation for my hour and a half dance lesson. We did west coast swing (my personal favorite), hustle, bolero, cha cha and east coast swing. I actually strapped on weights and danced a couple of rounds with them too, for muscle stren
gth.
It was a bit cloddy, but my partner was patient! I’m a dancin’ queen, and can really shake my size-16 booty!
We munched on a few dark chocolate covered almonds. The caffeine gave us stamina, and dark chocolate slathered us in antioxidants. (75 calories).
So far, I’d eaten 665 calories, a happy amalgam of fruit, nuts, dark chocolate, organic beef and 12 whole grains.
After a few more chores, I made dinner, while munching on fresh veggies, a bit of natural salad dressing and a glass of wine. (175 calories). There was an omega rich egg with a dollop of whipped cream cheese and melted pepperjack cheese (230 calories), four slices of natural bacon (only 120 calories!) and another slice of 12-grain bread (110 calories). Two large, luscious strawberries were dipped into natural chocolate pudding for dessert (100 calories).
Later on, I enjoyed a cup of tea with soy milk and honey (35 calories), seven cookies and a biscotti (without hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup) –- these 500 calories of deliciousness were probably craved because of my intense workout, right?
Total for the day: 1,825 calories.
Waddayathink of "Dr. Abby’s Diet Revolution?" The USDA recommends 1,800 calories per day for the average sedentary woman my age. Today was far from sedentary, but I didn’t need more calories, since these were completely satisfying.
Everything was delicious, and there were no toxins. Eating when hungry and stopping when full is something I practice as well as preach. Tea helped with satiety.
What’s the breakdown?
Protein came from organic beef, natural bacon, egg, cheese and soymilk. Bread provided whole grain carbs. Grapes and strawberries count as fruit, and salad counts as salad! Chocolate pudding offered calcium and happiness, joy came from wine, and other sweets were simply delightful.
Luckily, the fish oil supplement, provided health benefits without many calories, since there seemed to be lots of saturated fats today. On dance days, I typically eat more sugar and fat, since burning more calories. Other days generally include more veggies, fish or beans, and a few hundred calories less. Being in tune with cravings and energy requirements helps meet individual needs.
Remember, health is determined by fitness, rather than weight loss. It’s about living a relatively healthy lifestyle instead of inducing a temporary state of deprivation.
How creative can you be with 1,825 calories? Sticking to a diet is easy, when you create your own plan.
“Dr. Abby’s Diet Revolution” means tailoring calories and movement to what works for you, with an eye on health, and an emphasis on delish!
Click here for a FREE copy of Dr. Abby's book, Your Final Diet
Blog posting was originally posted on Diet.com
Dr. Abby Aronowitz
Your Final Diet
Do most guys want thin women? They make fun of overweight women, and drool over emaciated actresses, so what kind of a chance do mere mortals have?
Well, thin may be in (at the moment), but I believe there may be a difference between what looks good and what feels good to men.
Let’s face it, very few of us in the real world resemble television or movie stars, but men still want to get some lovin'... if ya know
what I mean.
Many people are turned off by extremes: extremely heavy, extremely thin, or extremely tall and extremely short. This seems to be human nature, but nature is often self-correcting. For instance, a very short guy may find a very short woman attractive, so who cares what the masses think?
There is certainly a culture of men who believe large is lovely, and feel secure wrapped in the physical and psychological comfort of a large body. Latino and black men seem to lust after ultra curvy (dare we say meaty) mates. Certainly there are women who feel safe in the arms of big men.
Many men may admire models, but may not like to squeeze a bag o’ bones. In fact, many men would probably be happy to accept a few extra pounds on their women if they just stopped complaining about their weight, or talking about what they ate, wanted to eat, will eat or shouldn’t have eaten! I think they’ve heard enough about your huge thighs and fat butt!
Confidence, kindness and sensuality create more attraction than a particular body weight. Good sexual techniques make men forget about your cellulite! Initial appearances wear thin rather quickly. Who cares how much you weigh if you're annoying to be with, because deprivation makes you cranky?
A fit body works best, and healthy living produces a vehicle with which to enjoy all the wonders of life. Too many people don’t realize that healthy bodies come in all sizes, and that can feel good to you as well as him.
Let’s celebrate becoming our personal best. It’s a basic tenet of “Dr. Abby’s Diet Revolution!”
Blog posting was originally posted on Diet.com
Dr. Abby Aronowitz
Your Final Diet
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Comments from Abby's readers on diet.com blog:COMMENT FROM: adiamond007 on March 13, 2009
meatspin113 said: i don't understand what you mean by 'lovin' please get back to meCOMMENT FROM: atwistedlime on March 14, 2009
I agree. I have found many a man that was turned off my extra curves but have found MANY a man that is turned on by it. It is safe for me to say I don't mind looking a buff men but I do prefer someone a little softer to wake up with. :-)
Healthy is the key for me.
COMMENT FROM: Username: Lynnette214 COMMENT: on March 16, 2009
Ha! Great post! I personally am a size four on a big day (I have a small frame) but I very much enjoyed this! Yes, so we have a little extra belly...maybe a little extra tush. I don't hear him complaining either... ;) Thank you for the encouragement!
COMMENT FROM: adiamond007 on April 7, 2009
As a Dr. where do you get off calling another woman bag'o bones. I am VERY offended by that comment. Did you get pleasure from that? Why do you women have to put down thin women to lift thick women up?
DoctorAbby's response: Hi adiamond007,
Thanks for pointing out that my language came off as demeaning. I intended it to be colorful, but you are absolutely right, and I apologize. Mea culpa!
COMMENT FROM: jindha on April 15, 2009
VERY NICE TO READ, AWAITING TO HEAR MORE FROM YOU DOCTOR ABBY
JUDE
By now we’ve all heard that white flour is bad for you and whole grain is good. But what if you or your family doesn’t like the taste of whole grain pasta? Health food isn’t good for you, unless you eat it!
Here are some great tips to improve the way our bodies process the white stuff, by minimizing potentially harmful effects.
The problem with white pasta, white bread and white rice is that some genius decided to eliminate the most nutritious parts, including fiber and nutrition. The carbohydrates break down too fast, which increases blood sugar and spikes insulin. The process happens too quickly for the body’s own good, and hunger can hit again soon.
BUT if you intercept this process, the whole system would slow down. For instance, protein, fat and fiber reduce the glycemic index of white foods, stabilize glucose levels, and keep appetite at bay.
There’s a fabulous product called textured vegetable protein (TVP - pictured above). This little wonder has barely any calories, but adds a decent dose of fiber and protein to any dish. It has no perceptible taste, but picks up flavor from foods and sauces it is cooked with. The only ingredient is defatted soy flour.
Dry TVP looks like granola, and has the consistency of ground meat after reconstituting it in water. Vegetarians use it to substitute for meat in a bolognese sauce, or for chopped clams in a faux clam sauce. A quarter cup dry has 80 calories, 0 fat, and adds 12 g of protein and 4g of fiber, along with Iron, Potassium and Magnesium. I can just toss a few pinches into an entre for one.
TVP is an exceptional product, and at $2.39 for a 10 oz package, it is cheap enough to cure world hunger! CLICK HERE for more info
Spelt flour is another outstanding product. This looks and feels like white flour, and I use it to thicken sauces, instead of cornstarch. You can also buy spelt pasta, which has nearly triple the protein and fiber of white pasta. It contains all eight essential amino acids needed by the human body, and is a good source of manganese, niacin, thiamin, and copper. I’d suggest mixing some with white pasta to gradually introduce it. This will reduce the glycemic index, and add impeccable nutrition.
Olive oil also reduces the glycemic index of white bread and others in a healthy way, since healthy fats slow the breakdown of unhealthy carbs.
The trick is to slow absorption, while adding nutrition, without spoiling taste! These tricks do all of the above.
Blog posting was originally posted on Diet.com
Dr. Abby Aronowitz
www.yourfinaldiet.com
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A couple of posts from Abby's diet.com blog:
bigfatmom says @ 11:25am ET on February 27, 2009
I wish i could lose weight really bad. Because my mom was very over weight when she die at the age of 58 yrs.old. And I don't what my my daughter look at me and call me fat again.I 'm 278 lbs. and I have no money to start this program. Can someone help me.Before I die. I don't what to die at a very young age(35 yrs old)
BigFatMom
Doctor Abby says @ 3:21pm ET on March 1, 2009
Dear Big Fat Mom,
Thanks for writing!
The best way to improve your health is to focus on "lifestyle." Stop worrying about dying, or whether people call you fat, and begin to do what you can to live more actively, given your money situation and physical health. Begin taking baby steps towards doing exercise, if you've been too lazy. This can be as simple as walking up and down a single flight of stairs, a few times a week. Just move your body more than you've been moving it. Research has found that health can improve by increasing movement, regardless if weight is lost! Continue incorporating new ways of moving your body, and slowly increase the time spent doing it... for the rest of your life! It doesn't have to be a crazy exercise regime that lasts for a few weeks and then ends.
Next, try eliminating transfats from your diet. The ingredient usually says "partially hydrogenated oil" or margarine. These are killer fats. Don't worry so much about the other fats.
If you smoke, try to quit; this is even more dangerous in my opinion than being fat.
Now, begin listening to your body, for feelings of hunger and fullness. Try eating slowly when hungry, and stopping when full, not stuffed.
If you tend to binge, pick one crunchy carbohydrate that is relatively low calorie and only binge on that. Good examples are flavored rice cakes, or, my favorite, Pirate's Booty.
Next, incorporate healthy junk food, so you can be satisfied without feeling deprived. There's a list of brand names in the appendix of my book, "Your Final Diet."
This is my best prescription for living the longest life possible, given your genes. Your genes have programmed you to be a large woman, so become the best large woman you can be!
All best,
Dr. Abby!
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ScoutMomAng sats @ 8:29am ET on March 1, 2009
Dr Abby,
You never mention where to buy this stuff. If I can't find it how can I try it?
Doctor Abby says @ 3:26pm ET on March 1, 2009
Hi ScoutMom,
Thanks for writing.
My fantastic web designer, Terri Negron found some links for you. They can be found on my personal blog. http://yourfinaldiet.blogspot.com/
Dr. Abby
