My Account
I weighed myself the other day. The scales said “ahem” kilos.
Then I worked out my BMI and found it to be slightly north of ideal. Then I looked up my old medical records and found out that I had put on 12 kilos in the last 20 years!
Maybe that’s why one of my patients popped out the observation, “Gee, Doc. You’re putting on the beef!” (Patients say things to doctors that doctors would never say to patients).
How did this happen? Of course it was a gradual process and I suspect there were some gingernuts involved. But then one day I went to suck in my stomach and it didn’t move. Something had to be done.
I set the modest goal of not eating between meals. This lasted until morning tea time. Clearly there was something lacking in the willpower department. But even when I exercise like crazy I lose about two ounces.
I say all this to let you know that I understand it is hard to lose weight. Apparently I have this in common with a lot of people in our country. Since the 1970s the prevalence of obesity in adults has increased three-fold, from 10 percent in 1977 to 30 percent in 2011–2013. It doesn’t take much to figure out that we eat too much.
The so-called ‘obesity epidemic’ is a major public health challenge and I’m not making light of it. But eating is such a complex behaviour – social, psychological and physical factors all drive us to consume more than is really good for us. And as my experience shows, even a sincere resolve to eat less can by sabotaged by the immediate gratification of flavour and fullness.
So honestly, how do I handle this in general practice? Firstly, I’m not a fan of any particular diet. The whole concept is wrong in the sense that it indicates a temporary change in eating habits and sadly most people revert to their original weight, or more, when they stop. If you can alter your food intake in a way which is sustainable forever, then go for it.
Secondly, weight is just one measure of health. Increase the amount of exercise, stop smoking, drink less alcohol, make sure your blood pressure is normal and attend to your mental health. If all those things are okay then a gingernut or two is not going to do you any harm.
