Articles by Hayden AlexanderWith more and more people becoming classified as obese around the world, one would think that people would be becoming more tolerant and acceptant of “People of Size,” but recent studies show that the exact opposite is true. Prejudices and intolerances abound!
Today, many “people of size” are being contemptuously treated by the media, the health-care industry, government, airlines, doctors, educators, and many others. Employers will almost always hire a thinner person with fewer qualifications than a “person of size”, having higher qualifications! Overweight employees are viewed as being lazy, sloppy, less competent, lacking self-control, repulsive, less conscientious, and as poor role models.
Little concern is given to the feelings of these people — people who may already have suffered a life-time of bully abuse, hating their own bodies, and despising themselves for being overweight. The minority, who do not “yet” have a weight problem, see them as just weak-willed, self-indulgent people who simply can’t push away from the table.
Yet, most people of size, demonstrate far more consistent self-constraint than any of those that criticize.
In addition, there are many factors that contribute to fat gain, the absolute number one cause being the food processing industry. It’s a well proven fact that where the Standard American Diet goes, obesity and disease soon follows. (The Standard American Diet typically encompasses the food processing industry and the fast food industry.)
Herein Lies The Problem
Too much of our food is highly processed for convenience. They are processed using high heat which kills most, if not all, natural enzymes, decreases the digestibility of amino acids and hence the viability of any natural vitamins, and minerals. They are then saturated with chemical preservatives to prevent spoilage. Processed foods have an exceptionally long shelf life because there is not enough life-energy left in the food—to spoil. Then, to add insult to injury, we bring these heat-processed foods home and cook them until they are nice and hot. Yum, yum. They taste great, especially with all the added sugar, salt, fats, and artificial flavorings. A veritable chemistry kit on a plate. However . . . . .
We eat these foods and find that our bodies cannot efficiently absorb any nutrients—because there aren’t any! We eat more and more and yet, our bodies are still starving for nutrition! Our nutrient deficient, high calorie diet drives us into “starvation mode” and our bodies compulsively begin to store fat. We Eat, We Starve, We Store; eat, starve and store! Then we diet and drive our bodies even deeper into starvation mode. We may lose a little weight on our diet, but before long we have gained the weight back — PLUS! We Eat, We Starve, We Store; eat, starve and store!
That, incidentally, is your NUMBER ONE enemy: a diet that has no nutritional value, but is high in calories. That is the perfect formula to store fat. If there is only one thing that you take away from this article, that is the main point. Why is there an obesity epidemic of world wide proportions? It is because of processed foods. They are nutritionally deficient and high in calories. We are starving to death while we eat more and more and more! Fat gain is inevitable if we are eating a processed food diet!
Murder Incorporated
Does the food processing industry care? No! Absolutely not! As long as the profit margins are high, you and I are expendable! We’re collateral damage! Food spoilage is their enemy, because food spoilage costs money. So the name of the game is food preservation. Unfortunately for us, the things that give food nutritional value are the very same things that cause food to spoil over time. So to make the food last longer on the shelves, the nutritional value must be stripped from the food. So you and I, we eat and we starve. Our bodies are forced into starvation mode and then we store fat because of the over abundance of calories in the food. We Eat, We Starve, We Store; eat, starve and store!
A Sweet Deal To Be Sure
Processed foods are always high in sugar and salt. Why? Because sugar and salt are addictive and they are also a preservative. So simply by adding sugar and salt, the shelf life of foods are extended. Again, you and I pay the price with our health and well-being. Many believe that the long-term effect of prolonged use of sugar in the body is so harmful that it should be officially treated as a poison.
In 2003, The World Health Organization, in response to the rising world obesity crisis, stressed that sugar should form no more than 10% of a person’s diet. The report also stated that sugar is one of the most direct causes of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hyperactivity and tooth decay.
In response, The Sugar Association, which includes such giants as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola and General Foods, was reported to have threatened to lobby Congress to withdraw funding from the WHO unless its sugar report is withdrawn. Considering that one small 12 oz can of Pepsi or Coca-Cola contains 10 level teaspoons of sugar, I can see why these companies were concerned. In rebuttal, the Sugar Association said there was “a preponderance (over-abundance) of recent scientific evidence” exonerating sugar as a cause of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hyperactivity and tooth decay. Well, Duh-h-h! If you can believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you!
Let’s Analyze This For A Moment
I have before me a 12 oz can of Pepsi. Sorry Pepsi, but I’m sure that Coke and all the others are just as bad. This can has 150 calories, 0 grams of fat, 15 mg of salt, 41 gms of useless carbohydrates, 10 teaspoons of sugar and no protein. To enhance the experience they have decided to stimulate us with an added 38 mg of caféine! Then there’s caramel color and phosphoric acid (also really bad for you). So what do we have here? Absolutely NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE whatsoever. Nothing but calories and chemicals! The perfect formula for packing on the fat. We Eat, We Starve, We Store; eat, starve and store! Drink one can a day and you are adding an extra 54,750 calories per year!
The Only Way Out
There is a solution to the obesity problem, but the only genuine solution involves a lifestyle change.
? We must get back to eating our food as close to natural as possible.
? Eat as much food as you can raw. That would probably be vegetables as opposed to meat, unless you’re really into Sushi or Steak Tartare.
? Start cooking your meals from scratch at home.
? Don’t cook your vegetables until they are soggy and lifeless – steam them lightly so they are still crunchy and crisp. Buy your vegetables fresh from local farmers, if possible ( many commercial vegetables and meats are irradiated by a radioactive source to kill bacteria and fungi, but that also kills all the enzymes and amino acids so you might as well boil them until they are lifeless mush ).
? Stay away from convenient highly-processed, preservative-laced foods.
? Avoid white breads, white rice and white pasta. They have all been stripped of vitamins and minerals and nutrients and then are usually “enriched” or “fortified” by throwing in a few token, useless vitamins. Get a good book on making your own Artisan breads and make your home really a home. Nothing beats the aroma of home baked breads. It will also bring the nutrition and fiber you need back into your life.
? Finally, start to exercise more. Anything you can do to get moving is a positive. You don’t have to rush out to buy the latest “gazel-a-loper” but do start something: walk a little each day and slowly build up to greater distances and brisker walks. Do a few Isometric exercises.
? Get Real about your diet and exercise and expectations for yourself and your family. Go to GetReal4FatLoss.com and join this dynamic, forward moving Membership site. Today is the day for change.