Kimkins Controversy - Kimkins Scam

The Cost of Obesity

I was almost going to write a post with some lame jokey title referencing giant peaches, because of this article about the obesity rate in Georgia. As I read the article, I came to realize that the state wasn’t a standout in the statistics, there are a few with worse numbers.

The estimate of the COST of obesity is worth commenting on. The seven figure Kimkins scam is small potatoes compared to the $2.1 BILLION that State officials have estimated obesity costs Georgia every year. I haven’t formed a solid opinion on this type of statistic. I would be interested to see what other people have to say.

Ever Lose Weight as a Result of Going OFF a Diet?

A close friend of mine was getting frustrated because she was dieting and working out without getting the scale to budge. We had a staff party and it was reason enough to go off the diet. I bought the cake… and the chips. The diet (I think it was CORE) was put aside for an entire weekend. I heard from her on Tuesday about the surprise weight loss.

I would be interested in any comments about this phenomenon.

Do You Have a Great Restaurant Idea?

I am married to a fantastic cook who spent years working in the restaurant trade. We won’t be opening any restaurants because we know how much work and how much risk is involved. That being said, the idea still entices us from time to time. Usually it is when we eat somewhere that is doing something almost but not quite right.

If you have a burning desire to open up a restaurant, be sure that you don’t bite off more than you can chew. Restaurant Funding from Advance Restaurant Finance is kinda self explanatory, but I think using a sector specific finance company might help you avoid some of the common pitfalls. And you will need money, too.

WOEOTD: Raw Food Diet

I am going to start featuring a different Way of Eating every few days. I am not promoting or criticizing any of these. I am instead going to present them without much commentary beyond a basic description.

The first Way of Eating of the Day is Raw Food. This is kinda like the Bones and Raw Food (BARF) diet that was all the rage for dogs recently…except without the bones.

Fat Actress?

If you are sensitive to criticism, here is a dose of perspective for you. This video features Aishwarya Rai, who is considered by many to be the most beautiful woman in the World. She has recently been the subject of some very harsh criticism in the Indian media. This criticism is about her weight.

As an actress, she is asked to lose 10 or more pounds for movie roles on occasion. I think that is a reasonable request. Actors often take it upon themselves to gain or lose significant amounts of weight. I remember Tom Hanks looking lanky for Philadelphia and Castaway. Some actors and actresses gain weight on purpose for roles. George Clooney was supposedly thrown into a state of depression after he gained 30 pounds for a role.

Anyway, the Indian actress should not have to suffer the derision of the tabloids over a little bit of belly fat.

Food Safety

Have you ever thought that it’s possible that people who eat more meat as part of a low carb way of eating are at a higher risk of food borne illness? I don’t know if this is true. I do know that being careful and smart about handling meat can mean fewer bouts of illness for you and your family and reduce the likelihood of having a serious food poisoning occur.

I remember Oprah spending months harping on and on about not thawing out chicken on the counter. At the time, I have to admit that I found it annoying. Now I am wondering how many lives she may have saved with her tirades.

There are lots of government websites and other resources that can provide more accurate and complete information about food safety…

WHO page on food safety

Foodlink

The FDA’s Playing it Safe with Eggs

Have you Heard About FitReach?

If you are looking for a convenient way to stay on track with your fitness and dietary goals, you should check out FitReach. You can use the site to help you track your progress, whether your goal is weight loss or muscle gain.

You can create a training plan and input your statistics and your results. Your FitReach account can also serve up a great way to manage your diet. In the information age, we have a lot of information at our fingertips with regard to diet and fitness. There are enough trusted sources and review sites out there to help you separate the good info from the bad if you do a little homework. Knowing how to lose weight and/or get fit is not the issue with most of us. As often as not we fail to stick to perfectly good plans because we lack the motivation or the organization. Tools like FitReach help people firm up a plan and stick to it. Your progress is visible to other FitReach members, if you choose to make it visible.

Creating a FitReach profile is quick and easy. Getting fit and/or losing weight is not quick and easy, but anything that you can do to keep yourself on track is worth looking into.

Reaching Out

Blogs serve various purposes for various people. I became a bit upset when I recently saw a blog that was being used by someone with a serious eating disorder, possibly bulimia. Her profile information sounded positive and hopeful with regard to recovering, but her journal style entries were shocking details of an unhealthy relationship with food. The shield of anonymity prevents me from trying to help this person in any substantial way. If any of my readers think they have enough life experience and empathy to reach out to a binge and purge blogger, go to Egocidal.blogspot.com.

Check out ‘Normal Eating’

I am not promoting the school of thought that is being referred to as Normal Eating. It interests me and I haven’t heard or read anything about it that I found discouraging. The basic idea is that our bodies know how to regulate weight properly and that teaching ourselves to eat based on physiological cues and to ignore emotional and societal cues will result in healthy weight loss. I recommend that you all read up on it. The only criticism that I have is that many people are so entrenched in a culture that overeats that calling this ‘normal eating’ will sound elitist to their family and friends. In a society, normal is what everyone decides to call normal. I could be wrong.

A Non-Profit Rehab

Michael’s House Men’s Center is a rehab facility that is located in Southern California a little more than one hundred miles east of LA. Everyone in a family and even a community is affected by the drug addiction and drug abuse that goes on in society. Antisocial and criminal behavior carried out by drug addicts have a high cost. The efforts of law enforcement to curtail the sale of drugs and all the other related crime has a high cost. These are nothing compared to the costs to the abusers themselves in terms of their health and their happiness.

The particular drug abuse treatment that is offered at Michael’s House Men’s Center includes rehabilitation that can last as long as three months and is aimed at meaningful recovery. Successful recovery means that former drug users are no longer using drugs and can function in society, which includes being employed.