A Handle on your Health: The Simple Answer to Being Healthy
Conventional medical wisdom states that if you have a BMI (body mass index) of 25-30 then you are overweight and if your BMI is over 30 then you are obese. No one likes that word obese or the "O" word. I’m surprised we haven’t changed the "O" word to something more appealing like “Healthfully Big” or “Grand Sized” or maybe “King Sized.” The problem is that calling it something other than what it is ignores the problem, that America has a weight problem. It’s hard to look in the mirror and accept the truth but we do.
So how did we get here? The plain and simple truth is that we have changed the way we live our lives. Our food is processed more and more these days. Our busy lives haven’t allowed us the ability to stay as physically active as we should. We prefer to lie on the couch and watch Netflix. When I see patients they always want me to check their thyroid because that must be the source of their weight problem. The thyroid, unfortunately, is rarely the problem. The problem is that we raise our forks to our mouths too much. Patients are always saying, “But doc, I don’t eat that much.” I know they’re telling the truth because once you get to an overweight state you don’t have to eat much to maintain your weight. Make no mistake though, the weight got there by eating too much over time.
If eating too much is the main problem with weight problems? Yes, but it’s not the only reason. You don’t have to beat yourself up too much. Studies indicate people eating similarly to folks from the 1950s have on average 10 pounds more weight today. So the food we’re eating today is less healthy than in years past. Our food today is processed and full of artificial dyes and sweeteners and preservatives that have had a detrimental effect on our health especially on our weight. We drink more sodas sweetened with syrup. By the way, regarding sodas, the diet sodas have not shown to be of any benefit. We eat at buffets or ask for the "super-sized" value meal at our favorite fast food restaurant. Oh boy do marketing companies know how to get us to spend our money on bad food.
Exercise seems to be all the rage. There are gyms everywhere and they come in all kinds of versions. There’s the classic gyms, girl gyms, 24-hour gyms, group fitness gyms, the crossfit craze, yoga studios, water aerobics, zumba classes. Then there are the unlimited number of home workout videos. It appears we are working out more than ever but the sad truth is that we are living more sedentary lives than ever before. We drive more these days instead of bike or walk. We take elevators and escalators instead of the stairs. We hire lawn services instead of maintaining our lawn ourselves. We just don’t stay as active as we used to. Our jobs today consist of more sitting in front of computers or on telephones than in years past.
Are diets the answer? No absolutely not. Diets create short-term effects. I could put you on a “candy bar diet” and make you lose weight. What works is portion control and calories. If you reduce your portions you will reduce calories and if you reduce calories then you will lose weight. I tell patients if their average daily consumption is around 2,500-3,000 calories then reduce it by 500 calories a day. Reducing your calories by as little as 500 a day adds up to 3,500 in a week (500 calories X 7 days = 3,500 calories). Reducing your calories by 3,500 a week roughly equals one pound. So in one year you could lose 52 pounds (52 weeks in a year) by making a small change to your caloric intake. You would barely notice a 500 calorie drop per day. So don’t look to do some fad diet for answers. Start by reducing calories.
Next look to change what you eat. You started by reducing calories now make the calories you eat better for you. Choose more natural foods and not the processed crap being pushed on you. Cook at home with fresh ingredients more often. Avoid fast food as much as you can. I know it’s yummy but fast food is gonna ruin you. Sugar is now the devil in diets. Everything is about “cutting carbs” now. Look, as stated before, avoid the fad diets. You can eat carbs. You can eat fats. The goal here is eat in moderation and eat a healthy balance. Make a lifestyle change in the way you eat everyday so it becomes something you enjoy and not a task you struggle to complete.
Hays County is about halfway between Austin and San Antonio. Austin is one of the fittest cities in America while San Antonio is one of the fattest. Let’s work to be fit. The formula is simple. Eat less + eat better + exercise = healthy.
Until next time, feel better.
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Dr. John Turner is a family medicine and emergency medicine doctor with 25 years of experience. He is also the owner of My Primary Care Clinic and My Emergency Room 24/7 here in Hays County. Dr. Turner may be reached at 512-667-6087.
