Fed. Govt. Abandons Huge Failed Diet Study

As previously posted on Diet.com!

Unbelievably, a large federal study recently found that diet and weight loss DID NOT  reduce, strokes, heart attacks or cardiovascular deaths with overweight diabetics.  In fact, the
study was stopped 2 years ahead of schedule, because it just wasn’t working, after 11 years! 

It sounds shocking, but not in light of other recent research.  Normal weight diabetics were twice as likely to die than overweight or obese diabetics, and there are better survival rates for overweight people with heart failure, hypertension and kidney disease. (See previous posts)

Interestingly, those assigned to the diet and exercise group did manage to lose 5% of their weight, and keep it off, resulting in less medication usage.  My hunch is that the improvement in lifestyle helped, not the measly weight loss.  This is what “health at every size, naturally” means.

Although short-term studies find that weight loss lowers blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol in the short term, they do not prevent actual occurrences of deadly events. 

The diet involved 5,145 overweight or obese people with Type 2 diabetes.  Those weighing less than 250 lbs ate 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day, while those weighing more ate 1,500 to 1,800.  They exercised moderately for at least 175 minutes per week; sounds like around 25 minutes a day.  The control group received general health information.

It is thrilling that every recent notable study has supported the idea of living a healthy lifestyle, and not worrying about weight loss. 

What a relief!  It still takes energy to move towards living healthfully, but the pressure is off.  We are meant to be diverse, and must strive towards becoming our personal best; not an artificially determined weight that is impossible to maintain, and ravages our self-esteem.

The trick now is to accept our body size as a result of living healthfully, even though it probably looks fatter than you like.  We have been brainwashed that thin is attractive, and see our own fat as gross.  Well, we all gotta get over it!

Accepting our bodies doesn’t mean we like them, or find them attractive.  It just means that it’s OK; not what we would prefer, but good enough.  Then stop thinking about it, and think of something else.

Let’s just take pretty good care, and focus instead on what our bodies allow us to do.  They help us to move around, give and receive love, smell beautiful scents, and taste delectable food.  The hell with cellulite, it’s time to live!

Do not wait to get on with your life till you lose weight.

Do not put your body down, publically or privately.

Just call a truce, and live in peace. 

You take care of it, and it will take care of you.