Most of the focus in Western society is on the appearance of fat. We have billions of dollars in the sales of diet pills that come and go. As usual, until Big Pharma comes up with a safe, viable (read: incredibly profitable) diet pill, the concept of “diet pills” remains a dirty little secret.
No one likes to talk about it. The industry is constantly under attack by outside forces trying to justify “waiting for real pills” e.g. prescription stuff to come out. There is an unending series of bad publicity around numerous dietary agents tying them to isolated problems and even deaths. Things that are left out: people who “died using this stuff” were usually using other “performance enhancing drugs” – almost always stimulants, alcohol or recreational drugs – often in the face of dehydration or extreme exertion.
But the real truth is that Big Pharma has no real alternatives and has taken a much bigger beating on their “real pill” alternatives like Phen-Phen. Rimonabant, the savior drug from Europe, probably would have been approved even with a 50% placebo rate, if it had been made by a U.S. manufacturer. Alli, the “orange greasy poop and uncontrolled flatulence” over-the-counter version of Orlistat, had to be made over the counter, because it failed so miserably as a “real pill”. And finally Meridia, the Prozac derivative that turned out to be a lousy anti-depressant and a decent weight loss pill, got yanked because of the very same blood pressure and cardiac issues Big Pharma and the press constantly lay at the feet of diet pills.
I’ll be honest with you. This is yet another case of chasing the wrong rabbit. Fat is not only ugly in its subcutaneous (under the skin form), but deadly in its visceral (surrounding organs) form.
In my last blog, I pointed out that elevations in cholesterol were, for the most part, related to excess calorie intake. So it is with visceral fat. Too many calories in (usually from refined carbs!) and your body will store subcutaneous fat and then soon after, when it runs out of room there, visceral fat.
OK, here is where the science and prevention stuff stops, because over and over again, it has been proven that people really don’t give a hoot about prevention and health, until it is running out on them!
So let’s talk looks!
A study a few years back, showed an almost unconscious discrimination against fat people in the job market. Similar findings were seen in terms of job advancement. Psychologically, studies have shown that people tested were less likely to “tolerate irritating behaviors” from fat people versus their leaner counterparts.
If you are overweight, this is not news to you. If you know someone, or have a loved one that is overweight, this is not news to you or them. It happens every day, from dating to the workplace.
Fat people are treated like second class citizens, with some kind of “character weakness”.
Since pointing out the vicious cycle of obesity and health has such a limited effect on motivation, maybe this will help motivate you, or get you to get the attention of someone who needs help. Fat is perceived as ugly, weak and undesirable! Those are not my words, but the words of psychologists.
No matter how useful or valuable you are as a person, your chances of getting your share of what‘s yours in this world, from love to money, go down when you are overweight. And you are aging and killing yourself prematurely.
If the best revenge is living well and in this case it’s getting leaner and cleaner.
From the supplement standpoint, which exists to help you put into action the things you need, (decreased appetite, smaller meals and more energy towards burning fat) I have two prerequisites for you.
Increase your Omega 3 fish oil intake so your inflammatory cycle can be broken and you will not be trapped by the obesity cycle that is part of it.
And next, if you need extra help, there is no shame in getting it. I knew I did 6 years ago when I ballooned to 236 pounds – an all-time high for me.
Fortunately, I had the ability to create the help I needed.
How do you know if you need it?
Well ,the best predictor of previous behavior is past behavior – so if you failed at the last diet or two you tried or you gained the weight back you lost in less than 12 months, you need help.
The new you is waiting – I am living proof!
Doc